Nelly Korda fired a round of 68 (-4) for the second consecutive day at the AIG Women’s Open to lead by three shots in Scotland.
The world number one was in a share for second place after the first round on the Old Course at St Andrews.
Korda went bogey-free on day two with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 before making two more on the fifth and ninth holes to sit at the top of the leaderboard on eight-under-par.
“I warmed up in the rain,” said Korda. “Yesterday it was just brutally windy throughout the range session until about probably 16. Then today it was raining for a good bit during my range session, and then up until probably my second or third hole.
“It was pretty calm the front nine, and then once we got to I think actually 18 and No. 1, that’s when it started to start pumping. I just adjusted. I didn’t really take advantage of kind of the calmer conditions on my front nine, but I played some really solid golf, and I’m happy with that.
“I just put a new putter in, the Spider. I just needed to look at something different. It rolls really nicely. I’m very pleased with it. I have no complaint. I’m just trying to stay very present and not think about anything other than one shot at a time, and whatever golf and links golf throws at me, I’m going to take it head on.
“There’s so much support for Charley [Hull] here, it’s incredible to see. The fans and the crowds have been amazing thus far, and I can’t wait to see what the weekend holds.”
Defending champion Lilia Vu and England’s Charley Hull sit in a share of second place on five-under-par after 36 holes.
Vu only dropped one shot on day two rolling in three birdies for a round of 70 (-2) and to be three shots behind leader Korda heading into the weekend.
“I think I’m happiest with how I’ve been putting it to the hole,” said Vu. “I’m giving myself a lot of chances for birdie, and that’s what you need out here. That’s the toughest part, just trying to play with the wind, not against it, and I’ve been trying to do that.
“It definitely feels good to get those two birdies on the board. I feel like I was pacing myself towards the middle of the round and was waiting for something to happen. Glad I was able to convert there [at the end], and hopefully I’ll give myself more chances tomorrow for more birdies.
“It’s such an honour to play here, just to be in the presence of St Andrews. I’m very grateful to be defending here and I’m not thinking about it too much. I’m thinking about it in the sense of it’s a new week, how can I play the best that I can.”
It was a trickier day for Hull, who began with a bogey at the 10th before making another at the 14th hole.
The three-time LET winner, who was runner-up at the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, then made another bogey on the second but turned her form around with birdies on five, six and nine for an even-par round.
“I actually I thought I hit it just as good as yesterday,” said Hull. “I just missed three or four four-foot putts, but that was early on in my round. Like on 10, which was my first hole, I missed like a two-foot putt.
“Then on the par-five, I three-putted from like 10 feet. Then on two, I missed that short putt. I didn’t feel like I putted quite as good, but I felt like I struggled with the pace today. I thought the greens were a little bit slower.
“Earlier on, there was a little bit of wet on the green from where it was raining, and it was a little bit skiddy, so then it kind of got in my head a little bit, but then once I got over that, I just fell back into my stroke and it felt fine.
“Only three shots behind. That’s nothing going into the weekend especially on this golf course. I left a lot of putts out there. I’m just going to go out there and do some pace putting this afternoon, but again, I felt like I hit the ball pretty well.”
China’s Ruoning Yin sits in outright fourth place after also carding a level-par round which included three birdies and three bogeys.
Six players are in a share of fifth place with South African duo Ashleigh Buhai and Casandra Alexander, Swedish amateur Louise Rydqvist, Japan’s Mao Saigo, Chinese Taipei’s Peiyun Chien and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko all on three-under-par.
It was a good day for LET player Alexander, who got into this week through Final Qualifying on Monday, after she fired a round of 68 (-4) on day two.
“It was good, I started off in the rain when there wasn’t much wind then,” said Alexander. “I tried to capitalise. I had a couple of putts, had a good feeling on the green and gave myself a lot of opportunities.
“I had so many lip-outs today. I played solid golf and gave myself opportunities. I hit 16 out of 18 greens, so I had a lot of birdie opportunities and eventually some do fall and that’s what happened. It was nice and tidy.
“It’s pretty cool. I have never been out here, it’s really nice. You can feel the aura is different, it’s special. When we did get in, I said to Charlie [my caddie], I don’t want to come here to make the cut or fight to make the cut. I want to take part.”
The cut fell at +4 with 82 players making it through to the weekend of the final major of the year.
Round three will begin at 7.25 am (local time) with the leading group teeing it up at 2.30 pm (local time) at St Andrews.
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