Suzann Pettersen set the target in round two of the Ricoh Women’s British Open with a three under par 69 in cool and blustery conditions at Turnberry on Friday morning.
The 34-year-old Norwegian finished her round at seven under par and tied with the first round leader Hyo-Joo Kim, who was teeing off into a strong breeze wrapped up in waterproofs and her signature ear muffs as Pettersen was addressing the assembled journalists in the media centre.
“They were very tough conditions; the ball is going nowhere,” said Pettersen. “Par is a very good score today. It’s easy to be picky but overall a very solid round of golf. There is more wind and its coming from the south, so when you make the turn, you hit the wall on 12.
“I think three under today is a very good score. I feel like I delivered my part today. I teed off early so I’ll enjoy a nice relaxing afternoon and be ready for tomorrow.”
Pettersen birdied the second and third and bogeyed the sixth but recovered by picking up another stroke on the seventh. After making the turn in 34, she birdied the par-5 17th to come back in one under 35.
“I felt I was in my hundred per cent control of the ball, the flight, the spin; everything you need to do in conditions like this. So this ranks pretty high as a good round of golf,” said Pettersen, who claimed her second Major at the Evian Championship in 2013.
Kim, who won her first Major at the same tournament last year, remained tied for the lead after nine holes in her second round.
The 20-year-old South Korean birdied the second and fifth holes against bogeys at the third and ninth, but she moved one ahead at eight under with another birdie on the par-four 10th.
Teresa Lu from Chinese Taipei, who is playing with Kim, was the next best placed player on six under par after 10 holes.
Meanwhile a level par 72 was enough for the former US Women’s Open champion So Yeon Ryu of South Korea to remain on the leader board at five under par, alongside Australian Minjee Lee after six holes.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, the winner of one major title, was back in the clubhouse on three under par after a 72 before the conditions closed in, making the course even more of a severe test.
The world’s number one and two, Inbee Park and Lydia Ko, are within the top ten as is England’s Florentyna Parker, who are all playing in the tougher weather conditions this afternoon.
The cut to the leading 65 players and those tied will be made after the completion of the second round.
