Sophie Gustafson, who was born in Sweden and lives mainly in Florida in the US, is something of a specialist at winning tournaments in Ireland. Don't ask her why. She laughs and says she doesn't know why but she hopes it continues.

In her 17 years as a professional, she has had five victories in the Republic and the north. After spending a week at home in Sweden where she celebrated mid-summer's day with her family, Gustafson has flown to Dublin where she has clearly found something in the air that suits her - again.

She has the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Links in Dublin well within her grasp with one round remaining. Gustafson had the day's lowest round, a 67, five under par, and is now six under par, one stroke off the lead held by Diana Luna of Italy. Gustafson is one stroke ahead of four players, Julie Greciet and Gwladys Nocera of France and Melissa Reid and Florentyna Parker of England.

It was another glorious day for golf, a bright blue sky, scarcely any wind and a warm sun and Gustafson tok advantage of the conditions in a part of the world where she obviously feels very comfortable. She won the Irish Opens of 1998, 2000 and 2003, shared victory in the 2000 World Cup at Adare Manor with Carin Koch and won the 2003 BT Open at Warrenpoint in Ulster.

The secret of scoring well on this golf course, which is set on a lengthy tongue of shallow dune land by the side of the Irish Sea a few miles north of Dublin, is to make your score on the front nine, which is the flatter and more wide open nine holes and then hope to hold on for the more testing examination that begins on the 10th. The second nine holes wend this way and that among dunes and if the fairways are both narrow and firm, as they are here after a long spell without rain, then it can sometimes be hard to keep the ball on the fairway, never mind the green.

Gustafson was out in 33, three under par, her only mistake coming on the 9th. This is a wonderful par three played from a pulpit tee to a dangerously positioned green that has a sharp drop-off on one side and Gustafson came a cropper here, dropping two strokes. But that was her last scoring mistake and she came home in 34 and has a sixth victory in what is surely one of her favourite countries in which to play golf is well within her sights.