England’s Charley Hull carded a second round four-under-par 68 on Saturday to sit three shots off the lead going into the final day at the Sanya Ladies Open in China.
Playing in hot and breezy conditions, Hull had four birdies at Yalong Bay Golf Club to claim a share of third place behind Lin Xi Yu of China, whose 67 contained six birdies and one dropped shot.
Lin held a two-shot lead over Babe Liu of Chinese Taipei, with Hull alongside China’s Zhang Yu Yang and Zhang Jienalin.
Hull, who won her first Ladies European Tour title at the Lalla Meryem Cup in March, started with a birdie on the par-5 first and then birdied the 11th, 12th and 15th. On her first hole, she said: “I hit a really good drive into the wind over the bunker, a brilliant 3-wood and a really good shot with my wedge. I had 88 yards to the pin and hit a pitching wedge, because it was that windy, and I holed it. I played pretty solid from there and had a good front nine. I rolled up a few birdies on the back nine and hit it close to make the birdies. I’m happy with where I hit it and everything is right there.
“Every time I made birdie today it was inside five feet so I was holing the five footers to keep going and I finished up with an up and down at the end.
“I’ll just carry on playing tomorrow like I do with my friends. I’ve been leading 11 times so far this year so hopefully tomorrow I can finish it off, but I’m just going to go out there and have fun. Let’s hope it’s windy so I can blow some of the other players away.”
Collated scores after round 2:
135 – Xi Yu Lin (CHN) 68 67
137 – Babe Liu (TPE) 68 69
138 – Yu Yang Zhang (CHN) 70 68, Charley Hull (ENG) 70 68, Jienalin Zhang (CHN) 70 68
139 – Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 68 71, Nikki Campbell (AUS) 69 70, Rebecca Artis (AUS) 68 71, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 70 69, Beth Allen (USA) 74 65, Huei Ju Shih (TPE) 71 68
140 – Pamela Pretswell (SCO) 74 66, Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 68 72, Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 70 70, Pei-Yun Chien (TPE) 71 69
141 – Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 71 70, Holly Aitchison (ENG) 72 69, Ashleigh Simon (RSA) 72 69, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 71 70, Numa Gulyanamitta (THA) 70 71, Liz Young (ENG) 69 72, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 72 69
142 – Maria Hernandez (ESP) 72 70, Ziyi Wang (CHN) 68 74, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 70 72, Fabienne In-albon (SUI) 72 70, Tzu Chi Lin (TPE) 66 76, Yu Ting Shi (CHN) 70 72
143 – Hsuan-Ping Chang (TPE) 70 73, Tiffany Tavee (USA) 70 73, Qi Tian (CHN) 72 71, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 69 74, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 72 71, Pavarisa Yoktuan (THA) 70 73, Caroline Afonso (FRA) 72 71, Kusuma Meechai (THA) 68 75, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 71 72
144 – Yan Hong Pan (CHN) 74 70, Stacey Keating (AUS) 72 72, Camilla Lennarth (SWE) 72 72, Wannasiri Sirisampant (THA) 72 72, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 73 71
145 – Wichanee Meechai (THA) 71 74, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 74 71, Ziqi Ye (CHN) 70 75, Pan Pan Yan (CHN) 72 73, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 72 73, Trish Johnson (ENG) 75 70, Chloe Leurquin (BEL) 70 75, Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul (THA) 75 70
146 – Bree Arthur (AUS) 71 75, Ai-Chen Kuo (TPE) 72 74, Punpaka Phuntumabamrung (THA) 72 74, Becky Morgan (WAL) 74 72, Monique Smit (RSA) 73 73
147 – Kylie Walker (SCO) 73 74, Caroline Martens (NOR) 75 72, Hong Tian (CHN) 74 73, Lydia Hall (WAL) 72 75, Whitney Hillier (AUS) 76 71, Hsin Ning Yeh (TPE) 75 72, Stephanie Na (AUS) 72 75, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 72 75, Yu-Ling Hsieh (TPE) 73 74
Missed the cut:
148 – Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) 74 74, Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong (THA) 73 75, Li Ying Ye (CHN) 75 73, Jia Yun Li (CHN) 74 74, Thi Nhung Tang (VNM) 74 74, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 73 75, Zhang Wei Wei (CHN) 72 76
149 – Nikki Garrett (AUS) 71 78, Saraporn Chamchoi (THA) 75 74, Pimpadsorn Sangkagaro (THA) 76 73, Maha Haddioui (MAR) 75 74, Noora Tamminen (FIN) 73 76, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 77 72, Hannah Burke (ENG) 72 77
150 – Becky Brewerton (WAL) 74 76, Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai (THA) 72 78, Cai Zhu Guo (CHN) 76 74, Ainil Bakar (MYS) 73 77, Connie Chen (RSA) 73 77, Ajira Nualraksa (THA) 73 77, Janya Morrakotphan (THA) 76 74, Li Qing Chen (CHN) 73 77, Aunchisa Utama (THA) 76 74, Alison Whitaker (AUS) 75 75, Vikki Laing (SCO) 74 76
151 – Victoria Lovelady (BRA) 75 76, Neha Tripathi (IND) 75 76, Ling Ling Tan (CHN) 73 78, Sally Watson (SCO) 76 75, Melissa Reid (ENG) 74 77
152 – Grace Lee (KOR) 74 78, Sahra Hassan (WAL) 74 78, Smriti Mehra (IND) 74 78, Rebecca Codd (IRL) 77 75, Saaniya Sharma (IND) 71 81
153 – Leigh Whittaker (GER) 74 79, Tiranan Yoopan (THA) 76 77
154 – Pennapa Pulsawath (THA) 76 78, Jaruporn Palakawong Na Ayutthaya (THA) 79 75, Narisara Kerdrit (THA) 76 78, Mireia Prat (ESP) 79 75, Mookharin Ladgratok (THA) 75 79
155 – Louise Larsson (SWE) 76 79, Xin Wang (CHN) 77 78, Yue Xia Lu (CHN) 74 81, Anais Maggetti (SUI) 75 80
156 – Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) 73 83
157 – Nimmita Juntanaket (THA) 78 79, Vani Kapoor (IND) 76 81, Ankita Tiwana (IND) 80 77
160 – Mayumi Chinzei (JPN) 77 83, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) 80 80
163 – Ashley Ona (AUS) 79 84
RTD – Nanthikarn Rakasachat (THA)
RTD – Georgina Simpson (ENG)