Nelly Korda has taken a commanding lead at the Women’s Open at St. Andrews on Friday, with a three-shot advantage over the rest of the field. She is aiming to secure her seventh victory of the year in 2024.
Korda had an impeccable performance, securing four birdies without a single bogey, and is currently sitting at 8 under after back-to-back rounds of 68. Defending champion Lilia Vu and England’s Charley Hull, who was the leaderboard leader after the first round, are currently tied for second place at 5 under.
When asked about her mindset, Korda stated, “I’m just trying to stay present and focus on one shot at a time. I won’t let anything distract me from the game, and I’m ready to face any challenge that golf and links golf may throw at me.”
Korda took the lead at 6 under during the back nine, with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes. She closed out her second round with a remarkable 3 on the par-4 ninth, where she nearly reached the green off the tee and putted from the fringe. She sank her second shot for a birdie, just as impressive as her long putts on the 17th and 18th holes.
Charley Hull delivered an even par performance, while Lilia Vu shot a solid 2-under 70 on Friday. Hull, who is seeking her first major title, admitted that her performance on the greens prevented her from keeping up with Korda. She stated, “I left a lot of putts out there. Nelly had 30 putts, and I had 36 putts. That’s a six-putt difference on the greens.”
Nelly Korda, the winner of the Chevron Championship, could potentially add another major title to her collection and reach a total of seven victories this season by securing the Women’s Open title in Scotland.
The forecast predicts more challenging weather conditions for the upcoming days.
Hull remains optimistic, stating, “Only three shots behind going into the weekend is nothing, especially on this golf course.”
China’s Ruoning Yin overcame two bogeys with a birdie on the 14th hole, bringing her score to 4 under with four holes remaining.
Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko finished with a score of 3 under, placing her within a five-stroke range of Korda. This group also includes South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai and Casandra Alexander, as well as Japan’s Mao Saigo.
Lottie Woad, the top-ranked amateur, was at 3 under for the tournament at the turn, but unfortunately, she dropped a shot by missing a short par putt on the 12th, marking her first bogey of the day. Woad, a 20-year-old English player studying at Florida State, is making her Women’s Open debut and participating in her fourth major tournament. She is on track to comfortably make the cut for the first time since the 2023 Chevron Championship.
Ana Pelaez Trivino from Spain was disqualified on Friday after her caddie used distance-measuring technology, which is prohibited in this event, on the 10th and 18th holes. The LPGA rookie was aiming to make the cut in a major tournament for the first time this season, but her scores of 72 and 74 in the first two rounds will not count.
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