World No 1 Nelly Korda and pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad are among the players chasing Japan’s Miyu Yamashita at the halfway stage of the AIG Women’s Open.
Yamashita followed an opening-round 68 with a stunning bogey-free 65 on Friday morning at Royal Porthcawl, firing seven birdies in the best of the conditions to set the clubhouse target at 11 under.
The world No 15 holds a three-shot lead over compatriot and playing partner Rio Takeda, who shared top spot after the opening day and added a three-under 69, with the Japanese pair holding a commanding advantage over the chasing pack.
Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini and American Lindy Duncan are among the players on four under and seven back, with Woad, Korda and Wales’ Darcey Harry heading into the weekend nine strokes behind on two under.
World No 2 Jeeno Thitikul is in the group on one under and Charley Hull is through to the weekend after a second-round 71 lifted her to level par, while defending champion Lydia Ko snuck through on the cut mark of two over.
How Yamashita grabbed statement lead in Wales
Yamashita was out in the fifth group of the morning and quickly jumped ahead after opening with back-to-back birdies, then ended a run of pars by making three more in success from the ninth.
She took advantage of both the closing par-fives to set the clubhouse target, including the par-five last, with playing partner Takeda three back after missing her eagle attempt – from inside eight feet – on the final hole.
Takeda had added an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys over the rest of the round, with those two now going out in the final group on Saturday after none of the chasing pack were able to get close to them.
Pre-tournament favourite Woad had briefly moved into fourth spot after three birdies in a row from the 12th took her to five under for the day, only for her to triple-bogey the par-four 16th after her hack out of thick rough left her having to take a one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie.
Korda carded four birdies and as many bogeys during her level-par 72, with Thitikul – who could replace her at the top of the world rankings this week – a further stroke back after a triple-bogey at the par-three 15th saw her post a second-round 73.
The best of the scoring came from the morning wave, as winds strengthened during the early afternoon, with England’s Mimi Rhodes inside the top 20 and Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also on one under.
Hull looked in danger of missing the cut but birdied two of her last six holes to card a one-under 71, while Stephanie Kyriacou fired a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth in her second-round 70 to also sit on level par.
Three consecutive bogeys on her back nine left Ko outside the cut mark when she finished round, but she is through on two over alongside Solheim Cup-winning captain Stacy Lewis, Evian Championship winner Grace Kim and three-time major champion Minjee Lee.
