ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Nelly Korda seems to be to be again to her dominant finest on the residence of golf.
The highest-ranked American mastered extra blustery situations at St. Andrews by taking pictures a bogey-free, 4-under 68 within the second spherical on Friday to take a three-stroke lead on the Ladies’s British Open.
Korda gained the primary ladies’s main of 2024 — the Chevron Championship in April — and is on monitor to seize the final one, too. There have additionally been 5 extra titles in a yr when she has consolidated her standing as the perfect participant within the ladies’s recreation, even when her prime type has abandoned her within the final couple of months.
Worse for Korda’s rivals is that she is warming to hyperlinks golf, too.
“This yr usually, I’ve gained on simply so many various kinds of grasses, in various kinds of situations, that you just simply form of at all times must adapt,” mentioned Korda, who was 8-under par for the match. “That is the identical factor in tennis, identical factor in life.
“You are at all times adapting to your conditions at hand, and I feel that is what’s so enjoyable about hyperlinks golf – you are actually beginning it 30 yards left of your goal, and I am not a fade participant however I am hitting large fades. I feel it is enjoyable hitting these little low drivers, too. I am having enjoyable, and I take pleasure in hyperlinks golf rather a lot.”
Korda has performed her first two rounds with defending champion Lilia Vu and England’s Charley Hull, a crowd favourite taking part in in her residence main, and the marquee group has lived as much as its billing.
Hull, the in a single day chief by one stroke after a first-round 67, shot even par and was tied for second place on 5 underneath with Vu, who shot 70.
They have been outplayed by Korda on a day when the wind wasn’t fairly as brutal as Day 1, however Hull was bullish heading into the weekend.
“Solely three pictures behind — that is nothing going into the weekend, particularly on this golf course,” mentioned the No. 10-ranked Hull, who’s in search of her first main title. “I left lots of putts on the market. I feel Nelly had 30 putts and I had 36 putts. In order that’s six putts that I’ve misplaced to her on the greens.”
Ruoning Yin, final yr’s Ladies’s PGA Championship winner from China, shot 72 and was alone within the fourth place on 4 underneath.
Olympic champion Lydia Ko shot a 70 and was one among six gamers on 3 underneath – 5 strokes off the lead – on the midway level. In that group was Swedish beginner Louise Rydqvist, who shot 67.
Among the many gamers to overlook the lower have been No. 3-ranked Jin Younger Ko (10 over), No. 5-ranked Hannah Inexperienced (7 over), two-time main winner and No. 13-ranked Minjee Lee (9 over) and No. 14-ranked Lauren Coughlin (6 over), who gained two of her earlier three begins together with on the Scottish Open final week.
Korda began out a stroke behind Hull, who bogeyed two of her first 5 holes after the group started at No. 10 and fell additional behind when the American rolled in lengthy putts to birdie each Nos. 17 and 18 for the second straight day.
Enjoying with a brand new putter, Korda made one other birdie on the par-5 fifth gap after which two-putted from the perimeter for birdie at No. 9 after practically driving the inexperienced. Vu and Hull additionally birdied the final gap to remain three pictures again and in contact.
Korda seems to be destined to raised her earlier finest end on the Ladies’s British Open – ninth place in 2019. That is her solely prime 10 at this main.
“I am simply attempting to remain very current and never take into consideration something aside from one shot at a time,” mentioned Korda, a two-time main winner. “And no matter golf and hyperlinks golf throws at me, I will take it head on.”
Golfer disqualified
A golfer was disqualified on Friday as a result of her caddie used a distance-measuring gadget on two holes on the Previous Course.
Ana Peláez Triviño, a No. 190-ranked Spanish participant in her first yr on the LPGA Tour, found the sanction after her second spherical at St. Andrews. Her caddie used the gadget on the tenth and 18th holes.
Trivino shot a 2-over 74 after a 72 on Thursday, and was on course to make the lower.
Organizers mentioned using a distance-measuring gadget was prohibited on the championship.
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