South Korea’s Haeryn Ryu moved into position for her third straight major triumph with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday that claimed a one-stroke lead midway through the AIG Women’s Open in Lytham St. Annes, England.
Ryu sits at 7 under 135 through two rounds at Royal Lytham and St. Annes Club, which places her one ahead of Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki and two beyond Yealimi Noh and first-round leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
Ryu, 26, shrugged off a slow start on a windy afternoon — posting a bogey on No. 3 and a double bogey at No. 5 — by finishing with five birdies over the last 12 holes. She drilled a 30-foot birdie putt at 15 to take a share of the lead, then her birdie putt at 18 gave her the lead.
“I just trying to have fun on the course because this course is a lot of stressful in the golf because a lot of bunkers and green is tough,” Ryu said. “And then windy, too — so just trying to find out the fun in the golf course with my caddie.”
After winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in late June and the Amundi Evian Championship three weeks ago, Ryu can become the fifth player in LPGA annals to claim three major titles in a row.
“Yeah, I think I don’t want to focus on other players,” Ryu said. “I just keep think(ing) about my golf and the golf course.”
Kuwaki posted four birdies and three bogeys to stay within one shot of the lead as the 23-year-old chases her first major title.
“As the round went on, the wind made it difficult to control my pace on the greens,” Kuwaki said. “Especially on the back nine, I wasn’t able to convert a few putts that I felt I should have made.”
Noh, 25, took a double bogey at No. 4, but posted four birdies and one bogey to finish with a 70 and remain in the hunt for her first major. Thitikul owned a two-shot lead after the first round, but she fell two shots off the pace with a three-bogey, one-birdie effort.
“I definitely going to get frustrated sometime,” Thitikul said. “I mean, like I get really frustrated when I three-putt on 14 and then I end up on like the bunker on 15. I was like so frustrated out there.”
South Korea’s Soo Bin Joo posted a 69 to move into fifth place at 3 under. Eight golfers — including Stanford rising senior Paula Martin Sampedro, an amateur from Spain — are knotted at 2 under.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda fired a 68 playing with Ryu to climb into a share of 14th place at 1-under 141. Defending champion Miyu Yamashita of Japan posted a 72-77 to miss the cut by three shots.
Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (147), Jennifer Kupcho (148), Australia’s Minjee Lee (149) and South Korea’s In Gee Chun (151) are among others to miss the cut.
