Golf: Barnard takes tip to heart

A LESSON from Nick Faldo helped Britain's Diane Barnard shoot a 69 and share the best round of the day to move into second place behind the Australian Karen Lunn in the KRP World Classic here yesterday, writes John Bolton from Kuala Kumpur.

On a day when Dale Reid's caddie succumbed to the heat after nine holes, Lunn added a 70 to her opening 69 to lead by four strokes from Barnard. Sandrine Mendiburu, last season's rookie of the year, is one stroke further behind.

Reid's Solheim Cup team-mates Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas both shot 70 to finish alongside Suzanne Strudwick on 146, the latter matching Barnard's 69.

'I was in Jamaica last month and was hitting shots on the practice ground alongside Nick Faldo,' Barnard said. 'He spent 15 minutes helping me with my game and I learned so much watching him hit shots. His rhythm and timing was so impressive.'

KRP WORLD CLASSIC (Kuala Lumpur) Leading second-round scores (GB and Irl unless stated): 139 K Lunn (Aus) 69 70. 143 D Barnard 74 69. 144 S Mendiburu (Fr) 72 72. 145 C Dibnah (Aus) 71 74; B New 74 71; L Hackney 71 74. 146 A Nicholas 76 70; L Davies 76 70; S Strudwick 77 69; S Waugh (Aus) 74 72; C Hjalmarsson (Swe) 72 74. 147 C Panton-Lewis 71 76; L Fairclough 73 74; R Hast 74 73; L Maritz-Atkins (SA) 70 77; D Reid 74 73. 148 K Parker (US) 74 74. 149 C Nilsmark (Swe) 73 76; K Lasken (US) 71 78; H Wadsworth 77 72. Selected: 156 T Johnson 79 77. 164 K Douglas 80 84.