Musselburgh’s Vikki Laing took a step towards a coveted place on the LPGA Tour with a great finish to a second round 70 over the Champions course at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

The top 20 players after five rounds will gain full exempt status for the women’s No.1 Tour – and the 27-year-old Scot was on three under par and tied for 11th spot when play finished on day two.

Sharing the lead on ten under par was the 19-year-old superstar, Michelle Wie, who shot 65 over the Champions course. The Hawaiian was joined on the same mark by

first round leader, Japan’s Shiho Oyama, who had a 70 over the more difficult Legends course.

Laing, the only Scot in the star-studded 139-strong field, produced a fine finish, and two birdies in her final five holes helped bolster her hopes of joining such as North Berwick’s Catriona Matthew on the 2009 circuit. 

Laing gained a non-exempt card – for those in 20th to 40th place at the Tour school – for the 2004 and 205 seasons, but she only had a meagre number of starts and has since been confined to the US Futures Tour.

Wie, who had six top tens in majors before a wrist injury and loss of confidence hit her career last year, again underlined her enormous talent and an ability to cope with huge pressure with a great seven under par round. 

Wie and Oyama led by one from Stacy Lewis, who led the US to victory in the Curtis Cup over the Old Course at St Andrews in June. 

England’s Melissa Reid, the second British player in the field, opened with a disappointing 79 and was outside the top 100 on nine over par after a second round 74.