Heck of a first day at the AIG Women's Open at Walton Heath, with world number 39 Ally Ewing leading by one stroke by the end of it.
She leads from a group of five players all on three under par - Ewing leading virtue of a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16, to make it to 4 under.
Amy Yang, Jaravee Boonchan, Perrine Delacour, Emily Kristine Pedersen and Jeongeun Lee6 are in a five-way tie for second on that -3 figure.
Keep up to date with all the latest updates with our live blog below.
AIG WOMEN'S OPEN LEADERBOARD
AIG WOMEN'S OPEN QUICK LINKS
- AIG Women's Open Round 2 Tee Times
- Walton Heath Hole by Hole Guide
- AIG Women's Open Field
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AND WE ARE BACK...
Very enjoyable day yesterday, the weather looks a little cloudy today, but we should still get uninterrupted action at the wonderful Walton Heath course.
Great start to the tournament, long may it continue
The first day of the AIG Women’s Open was a cracking one: the weather was excellent, the golf was interesting, the course looked and played superbly, and the leaderboard is congested. After an Open Championship at Royal Liverpool which, frankly, after a good first day then tailed off markedly and failed to grip, let us hope that the AIG Women’s Open continues as it has begun.
Tweaks to the layout for today's round
Four of the tee boxes have been moved up - the 4th, 5th, 12th and 16th ones. The layout, which can play to 6,881 yards, has a yardage of 6,713 today.
Today’s pin positions
Here is Friday's pin sheet:
First of the marquee groups are on the course
Georgia Hall, Celine Boutier, Atthaya Thitul are playing together and were off at 7.47 this morning. Hall has dropped a shot on the 1st; Boutier and Thitkul made par.
Walton Heath’s powerful members
It is one of the less-remarked quirks of the different political systems of the two countries that US produces golfers as Presidents – 16 of the past 19 Presidents have been golfers – but most UK Prime Ministers, particularly recently, have shown little interest in the game. The exception was David Cameron, an occasional player who did play a game against President Obama at The Grove when Obama was in the UK on an official visits. Obama won.
But it has not always been thus, David Lloyd George and Churchill were both golfers, and both were members of Walton Heath. The membership included a lot of politicians – on the eve of the First World War, Walton Heath had four future or past Prime Ministers among its membership, 24 MPs and 21 members of the House of Lords. George W Bush may have stopped playing golf during the Iraq War, feeling it was improper when the country he led was at war, but Lloyd George felt no such compunction. He and Winston Churchill even sat on club committees during the conflict. “The war is being conducted from Walton Heath's 19th hole,” was a contemporary view on Lloyd George’s government.
The US President during World War I was Woodrow Wilson. It has been estimated that he played more than 1,000 rounds of golf during his eight years in office. He was so eager to play that he would even play in the snow, using ball painted black. However he was not a good golfer, and rarely broke 100.
Lloyd George and Churchill would play together, although Churchill’s favourite hole was the 19th and he had to be often chivvied out to play. A mediocre golfer, Churchill sought to compensate for this by pairing up when possible with James Braid, Walton Heath’s professional and one of Britain’s finest-ever golfers. Churchill’s declared handicap was 18; at it lowest point Lloyd George’s was 13.
Those three US Presidents who did not play golf by the way: Jimmy Carter, Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover. Walton Heath’s other Prime Ministerial members were Bonar Law and Alfred Balfour.
Steady start for Amy Yang
Three holes played. Three pars made. She remains T2.
Today's weather forecast
Ally Ewing about to join the fray
Of the six players who were at three-under or better on the first day, only a couple of them are out this morning, indeed out before 1.49pm.
Amy Yang is already on the course (and has dropped to -2 after a bogey on the 5th), and the first-day leader gets her second round underway at 8.47am. Here are when the others are off:
1.49pm: Jeongeun Lee6, who is playing with Kokona Sakurai and Moriya Jutanugarn
2pm Emily Kristine Pedersen who is playing with In Kyung Kim, Julia Lopez Ramirez
2.11pm Perrine Delacour who is with Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Ingrid Lindblad
3.36pm Jaravee Boonchant, who is with Magdalena Simmermacher and Emma Grechi
Early riser
Scot Kylie Henry has played a bogey-less front nine in 2 under, and has risen 46 places to T57.
Yu Liu joins those in second place
Yu Liu is in the fourth group out today and she has recovered from a bogey on the 2nd with back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7 which have taken her to -3. The tie for 2nd is a five-way one.
Grace Kim making a move
She has added a birdie on 7 to her one on the 4th so she has now joined those tied in second. That's now half a dozen people in second place. The Australian has moved up 17 places on the leaderboard this morning.
Ewing pars the 1st
Her approach comes up about 10 yards short, but she elects to putt from off the green and gets a tap-in par.
Heather
Am I the only one disappointed that neither Heather Lin nor Heather Macrae qualified? But at least we have Charlotte Heath playing. On the subject of names, anyone else notice that Bailey Tardy has been put out last today?
Boutier Birdie
It had been a steady start thus far for the Frenchwoman, with pars on every hole. But this birdie on the par-5 6th takes her to +1 and T56.
The Women’s Open layout
Walton Heath has two courses, the Old and the New. The Women’s Open is played over a composite layout with 16 holes from the Old and two from the New. The New’s 12th and 13th are substituted for the Old’s 1st and 3rd, and appear at 12 and 13 on the composite layout. The 1st hole on the Old is an odd one. For starters it is separate from the other 35 holes. The clubhouse, car park and one hole are on one side of a road; the other 35 holes are on the other. It is also a rather mundane long par 3.
Another tap-in par for Ewing
This was on the 2nd, which played the hardest of all the holes yesterday. So far, so good, and no sign of a repeat of her second round at the Evian Championship . There she also made an opening round of -4, but followed that up with an 80 and missed the cut.
Ewing goes two shots clear
A 5ft birdie putt is holed on the 3rd and she has pulled away from the four currently in second place.
The 16th hole
The tee box on 16 has been moved up for this round, so we can anticipate more drama here today. This hole added greatly to the drama of the first day. A downwind par 5, it gave many players a chance to make a late assault up the leaderboard. Thirteen players clawed back 2 shots from the course over those two holes. The 16th hole yielded these 13 first-day eagles without fear or favour – Ally Ewing, who finished the day first, got one, as did Amy Yang (T2) but so did Hayley Davis (T128) and Mi Hyang Lee (T122).
The 16th was the easiest hole yesterday, playing to an average of 0.7 under par. Only three other holes played under-par: the par-4 10th and par-5 11th, both did so by 0.1 shots and par-5 6th just sneaked in to this group as it played to an average of 4.99.
Ewing misses birdie chance on the 4th
The putt was not more than 6ft but it goes left. She remains two shots ahead of those in second. Of the five in second, four of them have yet to begin their second rounds.
Trickling down to Walton Heath
Bertie Wooster who, along with his gentleman’s gentleman – not butler! – Jeeves is one of the greatest creations in humorous fiction, was a golfer. In the first story in which he appears, Extracting Young Gussie, published in 1915, his formidable Aunt Agatha asks:
"What are your immediate plans, Bertie?"
"Well, I rather thought of tottering out for a bite of lunch later on, and then possibly staggering round to the club, and after that, if I felt strong enough, I might trickle off to Walton Heath for a round of golf."
"I am not interested in your totterings and tricklings. I mean, have you any important engagements in the next week or so?”
I scented danger.
“Rather,” I said. “Heaps! Millions! Booked solid!”
“What are they?”
“I—er—well, I don’t quite know.”
“I thought as much. You have no engagements. Very well, then, I want you to start immediately for America.”
Wooster’s creator, the author PG Wodehouse, was a keen golfer, and wrote several dozen golfing short stories. In later life he wrote of himself that “If only I had taken up golf earlier and devoted my whole time to it, instead of fooling about writing stories, I might have got my handicap down to under 18. … I won my first and only trophy, an umbrella in a hotel tournament at Aiken, South Carolina, where I went through a field of some of the fattest retired businessmen in America like a devouring flame. I was never much of a golfer. Except for that glorious day at Aiken, I was always one of the dregs, the sort of man whose tee shots designed to go due north invariably went nor-nor-east or in a westerly direction. But how I loved the game!”
Two out on the course in second place
They are Yu Liu and Grace Kim, who have both made birdies on the par-5 11th. Liu has now made par on 12.
The cut
The cut is the top 65 places and ties. Currently that equates to a score of +1, but in the nature of these things the cut off score often slips down a shot or two, But it may well only be by a shot this time? So perhaps +2 is the likeliest number for the cut mark? There is oodles of golf still to be played today, but at present Hall, Boutier and the defending champion Ashleigh Buhai are among those on the wrong side of the cut line.
Another Ewing birdie
It is on the par-5 6th, She is giving herself plenty of chances with some superb approach play. She is now on -6, three shots clear.
How to watch a AIG Women's Open live stream
If you wish to see the action from wherever you are in the world, check out our guide to how to watch a AIG Women's Open live stream.
Seven in second
Miyuu Yamashita's birdies at 5 and 6 have taken her to -3.
That approach play by Ewing
Just been given the stat that on the last five holes her approaches have ended an aggregate of 37 feet from the hole. Crikey. She knocks in another birdie and she is 7 under for the tournament. I wrote earlier how The Open had begun well, but tailed off as a spectacle as Brian Harman pulled well ahead of the field and stayed there. With respect to Ewing fans, hope this does not happen here. This afternoon the wind is forecast to get up a bit more, so it may be these are the best scoring conditions of the day.
If you like Walton Heath, check out these layouts
One of our writers has put together a guide to the best heathland golf courses in the UK. Which journalist was tasked with putting this together? Well it had to be Elliott Heath didn’t it. (If we ever publish a guide on how not to whiff that gimme, our editor Neil Tappin just has to be its author.)
Handover
That’s if for me. I pass the blog on to Carly who is making her blog debut.
Crowds flock into Walton Heath for Friday's play
Good morning from a beautiful, fresh Friday here in Surrey. There's a light breeze and the conditions are fair. What an absolute delight it was to see crowds of people flooding through the entrance gates at Walton Heath GC this morning and what a treat they are in for. As soon as you enter you are alongside the driving range and watching the world's best women warming up. Then carry on through a little archway and into the Festival Village. The set-up is one of the best I've seen at any tournament in the world, with everything to please the spectator from fashion to food, along with games galore to entertain the kids. The 'big kid' in me couldn't resist having a go at a couple of the competitions, including the "Mastercard Mega Putt" and the 19th Hole sponsored by Adidas, where I managed to match the putting scores of some of this week's competitors including Rose Zhang. I'm looking forward to bringing you updates live from the action as the play unfolds this morning. Enjoy!
EWING OFF TO A FLYING START
American Ally Ewing is off to a flying start here at Walton Heath GC. She's six shots ahead of the chasing pack and playing some sensational golf.
The 30-year-old from Mississippi looks incredibly comfortable and relaxed on the course this morning, recording four birdies on her front nine. She clearly has the pace of the greens.
HALL NEEDS TO HANG ON IN THERE
2018 Women's British Open champion Georgia Hall will need a strong finish if she is going to make the projected cut here at Walton Heath GC.
Early estimates suggests that the cut-line will fall at one-over-par, which means the English superstar needs to pick up at least two birdies in her closing four holes.
The 27-year-old, who plays out of my home club, Parkstone GC in Dorset, has just hit her approach shot into the 414 yard par 4 14th and then three-putted missed the green. Her frustration is clear.
I spoke to her last week at Parkstone. She had chosen to have a week off from tournament play and was not competing in the FREED Group Scottish Women's Open on the links at Dundonald. Instead she chose to to practice at home as she had just completed four events on the bounce and needed a break. I thought this was quite a smart move considering the conditions at Parkstone are actually very similar to Walton Heath GC with the same heathland landscape.
Let's hope the home crowds here get behind her and she rallies in the final four holes.
THAILAND'S THITIKUL PROVING TO BE COMEBACK QUEEN
If ever there was proof that bouncing back from a terrible start is possible, Thailand's Atthaya Thikikul is it.
The rising star of the women's professional scene started her week at Walton Heath GC with a horror-story eight, after bouncing off a tree at the opening hole in the AIG Women's Open and into trouble. She was five over for the first five holes.
Fast-forward 24-hours and the 20-year-old is right in the mix among the chasing pack at one-under. Six-under for her next 27-holes.
EWING'S CHARGE CONTINUES
AIG Women's Open leader Ally Ewing is yet to drop a shot today and has soared ahead of the field by seven clear shots.
The American is six-under for her round through 12 holes, bogey-free. Including a sensational run of four birdies on the bounce to charge through the opening nine in just 30 strokes.
No player is yet to break free from the chasing pack of 12 players all on three-under-par, which includes English hope Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
Watch this space...
YIN TAKES CLUBHOUSE LEAD
Angel Yin has fired a super round of 69 to take the clubhouse lead here at the AIG Women's Open on three-under-par.
The 24-year-old Californian looks at home on the heathland links at Walton Heath. If you want to know a bit more about the potential Solheim Cup player read our article: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Angel Yin
ENGLAND'S JODI EWART SHADOFF SHOOTS A 69
Here's a name to watch over the weekend - Jodi Ewart-Shadoff.
The 35-year-old, originally from Leeds, met and married a TV sports anchor Adam Shadoff in 2013 and is now largely based stateside.
Ewart-Shadoff is a two-time English Women's Strokeplay champion, winning in 2008 and again in 2009, as well as playing for Great Britain and Ireland in the 2008 Curtis Cup.
Since turning professional she has carved out a very successful career, splitting her time between her home in Florida while playing on the LPGA Tour and returning home to compete in the big events on the LET. Her maiden Tour victory came last year in the 2022 LPGA Mediheal Championship.
The English crowds will be delighted to see her name towards the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend at Walton Heath GC, after shooting a three-under-par 69 today.
HALL RALLIES WITH LATE BIRDIE AT 18 BUT WILL SHE MAKE THE CUT?
England's Georgia Hall showed the Surrey crowds her true calibre as a former champion by rallying with a late birdie at 18 to give her a fighting chance of making the cut in the AIG Women's Open.
The 2018 winner of this title needed two birdies in her last four holes to get into the clubhouse at two-over-par on the projected cut-line.
Hall showed nerves of steel to roll-in a critical birdie putt at 16 and then again at the par-4 18th to shoot level-par 72.
Well done Georgia, I know a lot of your friends from our Dorset county squad will be here over the weekend cheering you on. It was lovely to see you smiling again on 18 after a tricky round today.
"BIG 3" TEE OFF FOR THE AFTERNOON
Day two of the AIG Women's Open has got off to a fantastic start with birdies galore. If you are coming along to Walton Heath GC for the afternoon then there are some fantastic players still on the course.
Among them is the superstar trio of world no. 1 Nelly Korda, England's Charley Hull and New Zealander Lydia Ko who have just teed off.
All three will have their work cut out to catch Ally Ewing who has certainly set the pace today and is currently six shots ahead of the field on 10-under par.
They will be looking for a big day ahead to try to move up that leaderboard.
CAN KO CONQUER HER DRIVER STRUGGLES?
We've all been there...standing on the first tee, dreading hitting the driver. I'm certainly in the category of players who have a love-hate relationship with the big stick. When it goes well it's the easiest club in the world to use but when you doubt it the power can quickly turn into a ticking time-bomb. A 'trouble tracer'!
I was reflecting on this while watching world no.3 Lydia Ko hook her opening tee shot into trouble on day two here at Walton Heath GC. She had to play the dreaded "provisional" ball. Being the world-class player that she is she recovered from the trees to find the green and make her par.
I'm a great believer in going back to basics when things are going wrong and reassessing your fundamentals. Are you having driver struggles? Take a look at our Guide To Driving and take a few of these pointers to the range.
SMOOTH SAILING FOR VU
Newly crowned major champion Lilia Vu is bringing her good form to Walton Heath GC this week.
The 25-year-old American professional, who won the Chevron Championship earlier this year, puts her second round four-under-par 68 here at the AIG Women's Open down to solid putting today.
"I definitely benefited from the smooth morning greens," said Vu. She undoubtedly wins the prize for the longest putt holed today after draining a whopper from one side of the 12th to the other.
"I think I was about 15 yards away," laughed Vu. "I was just trying to focus on the pace and lagging it up close, so that was definitely an unexpected bonus."
EWING SETS THE TARGET
Ally Ewing has completed her second round at the AIG Women's Open with a phenomenal score of 66.
The American overnight leader carried on in the same form that she finished in last night, starting strong with five birdies in her front nine, taking her out in just 30 strokes.
She followed with two more birdies on the back nine and at one point it looked like no-one else would get near her. The only hiccup of the day came at 18, when she missed her par putt, to record her only bogey on an otherwise unblemished scorecard.
Ewing has set a loft target at the halfway point, lying at 10-under par, five ahead of her rivals.
HANDOVER TIME...
I hope you've enjoyed the live coverage this morning. I'm now passing the baton to PGA Advanced Professional Katie Dawkins for the afternoon and heading out to watch some of the action myself. See you tomorrow.
As the weather kicks up we’ll see a few go off the fairway and into that heather. Get the umbrellas ready it’s going to be a stormy afternoon!
Awesome round from Lilia Vu, a tidy 68. One to watch but can she catch Ewing who has shot that fabulous 66 and leads at -10.
A four ball who will do their best to shelve a ton of birdies are Hull, Korda and Ko. Especially Ko who sits at +5. She’s had a topsy turvy run of it recently, but for someone with a cool head we won’t write her off just yet.
Nelly Korda is heather bound on the 4th hole. She won’t be happy with this but the heather here at Walton Heath is not there to be friendly. The first 4 holes here are a seriously tough start. But thankfully for Nelly the ball was lying well and the shot headed over the flag leaving a lengthy birdie putt but coming up just shy down the same line as Ko’s putt. She buttons is down 5 just to make a point, followed swiftly by Charley Hull.
Hello and good afternoon, what a morning of golf it’s been. Ewing striding ahead of the pack carding a clubhouse lead.
With the forecast this afternoon set to get breezy I feel like she’ll sit pretty for a while whilst gentle chaos ensues out there.
Georgia Hall must be beaming after holing that putt on 18 for her birdie to finish at +2. I can’t see the cut dipping below this so here’s hoping she’s saved all those putts for the weekend. She’s playing beautiful golf just not converting those awesome shots. Your time will come Georgia.
Katsu sinks a cracking birdie putt to take her score to -5
Fantastic birdie putt on the last for Japanese Minami Katsu to join American Andrea Lee at -5. Slowly but surely the birdies are making an appearance.
World Number 1 Nelly Korda found yet another fairway on 6 then buttons it next to the flag with a chip and run that pulls up at the last moment. This rain has gently slowed things up a smidge this afternoon. She converts the birdie to get back to level par.
Minjee Lee finds the bunker on 7 and splashes it out with style and finesse to a matter of 8ft. She relishes bunker shots and that’s evident in her approach. Striding into the sand a vision of focus and calm. If bunkers aren’t your bag maybe you need to look at your approach to them. Check out this “Bunker Mentality“ article and be more Lee, making bunkers your happy place.
Nasa Hataoka sends a much needed par putt past the hole and the pressure is on a little. Charley Hull fails to hole out for her birdie putt on 7 and marches on seemingly unphased.
The heat is on in the drizzle at Walton Heath as players battle to try to make the cut
Alice Hewson had gone on a run with birdies at 14 and 16 but just ducked out with a solid par at 18 finishing at +3. She is amongst a group of players hovering on the cut line currently projected at +2… but with the conditions getting a bit blustery she may still be in luck. Anna Nordqvist is on +2 and has put herself with a chance to gain one back on 8.
With much focus on the upcoming Solheim Cup the captains picks must be playing on the minds of both US and European players.
Charley Hull sinks a storming birdie on the 7th hole taking her to -2. The greens are running on 11 but with this wetness from the sky they’ll be feeling a little more sluggish to the players.
Along with Charley other players see putts dip into the hole for birdies, Minjee Lee is cheered on as her ball disappears underground on the 8th Also taking her to -2.
Driving woes for Ko
Lydia Ko continues to struggle with her driver and Walton Heath is not a track where you want any kind of doubt off the tee. Check out our Hole by Hole Guide and you’ll see how important decent positions off the tee are on this stunning AIG Women’s Open course . Needless to say Ko finds the putting surface from under the branches proving her class to recover.
Hataoka sinks a monster putt for birdie on the 9th taking her to -3. Sheer class from the Japanese star.
Charley chasing birdies
Charley chases her ball along the putting surface on 8 but her birdie was not to be.
Leona Maguire happily sat on level par after rolling in her putt on 9 and hoping to turn up the flames on the back nine. Nobody really making a run at Ewing as of yet. The feel in the air is a bit sluggish and I think it’s about time the sun made another appearance.
Gaby Lopez nuts her tee shot up the 11th hole. She’s sat at +1 for the day but -1 for the tournament. Lopez is one of my favourite players, a Mexican with a fiery game and a cool head. One to watch as she chases those birdies on the back nine.
LOPEZ CRANKS UP THE HEAT AFTER A FEW DROP SHOTS
The sun is indeed back out and Lopez is turning up the heat having had a few drop shots on 7 & 8. Sending her second shot onto the dance floor on the 11th Gaby Lopez gives herself an eagle opportunity. Be it a monster! Approximately 85foot! She rolls is to a sinkable length for birdie.
Jin Young Ko played a beautiful approach onto the 10th. She’s bobbing along at level par with a steady card covered in pars and just the one birdie. Can she add another?
Ko is still suffering woe after dropping another shot on 9.
The sun is shining on a dazzling open
Thankfully the weather has perked up and the heather is literally glowing a glossy purple. If you are yet to get over to the AIG Women’s Open then get on down there. Here’s our guide of how to get there and why you should go. CLICK HERE and find out why this years AIG WOMEN’S OPEN is gearing up to be the best yet.
The golf is warming up as well as the temperature, Minjee Lee turns in a classy birdie on the 11th taking her to -3. I sense she may just go on a bit of a run, watch this space.
Jeongeun Lee6 just birdied the 6th hole taking her to -4. I feel like the players this afternoon should be happy that the weather hasn’t turned super ugly as predicted. The cut is now sat at +1 which will have Georgia Hall sat on the edge of her seat. After her phenomenal birdie on the last for what she’d have hoped would have seen her playing at the weekend, she’ll be gutted to miss out if the numbers stay as they are.
Charley sinks a monster after proving her class to score from trouble.
Nelly finds the rough on 11, smashing it out just left of the green side bunker. Not quite firing on all cylinders.
Charley also having a smashing time on 11 finding the green side bunker out of the heather. Even great lies in this heather can cause the best players in the world an issue or two. Charley will have a serious challenge in even getting her club onto the ball in the sand. Heather is literally looking over her shoulder but she’s snuck it out and has a putt for the next shot. This course can really bit you in the derrière whether it’s the heather or the bunkers. in Charley’s case she had to contend with both! She did a great job and stays steely focused. She only goes and holes it for a birdie!!!! Go Charley! Well heads to the part of the course that is from the New Course of Walton Heath (12 & 13).
Minjee Lee has split the fairway on the 13th and both her and Hataoka’s approach shots stuck short of the flag on their approaches. That little bit of rain has softened everything up a touch.
Minjee Lee throwing darts at the flagsticks and Hull using her HyperFocus powers to maintain a bogey free scorecard.
Lopez rolls a putt from off the green and it’s absolutely stone dead. A great touch.
Charley launches her drive down the 12th and it‘s nestled on the upslope in the semi. Followed by Ko and Korda (who twirls the club) and they both find the fairway.
Minjee Lee is at the top of the leader board when it comes to shooting low at Majors, she’d carded 22 rounds in the 60’s in her career. She sends her ball into 13 landing it right by the flagstick after a fairly lengthy discussion with her caddy. I love how much these guys communicate and how much reassurance some of the players get from their caddies.
Charley hits her second into 12 and it sits on the ridge, not releasing to the pin. Her putter is hot so not going to put it past her to roll that one in. I’m a huge Charley Hull fan, she (like me) was recently diagnosed with ADHD and has suffered with a dip in mood and enthusiasm this Summer. Great to see her back in the zone - trust me it’s tough to stay in the zone. Hull is the queen of Hyper Focus so expect more putts to drop over the next few holes. Check out how ADHD affects golf in this article.
Korda stuck her approach by the pin and narrowly misses her birdie. The number 1 ranked player sat on level par currently. Charley rolls her ball in for par staying at -3 and maintains a bogey free round. The momentum is building for these two players.
Lee6 is smarting after a double bogey 6 on the 7th. She’ll be looking to up her game and sits at -2.
Amateur Charlotte Heath sinks a stunning putt to finish at +1 and will make the cut. Could she be the only amateur to make it to the weekend?
Charlotte Heath holes a great putt on 18 to finish at +1 and guarantee making the cut. Could she be the only amateur to make it to the weekend, guaranteeing her the Smyth Salver? Each year this is awarded to the top amateur at the Women’s Open. It’s only awarded if one non-professional makes the cut. Previous winners include Michelle Wie West, Anna Nordqvist, Rose Zhang (last year) and Leona Maguire.
Gaby Lopez just drained a snaking putt for a 3 on 14. What a player, she sits at -3.
Nelly Korda narrowly misses the green side bunker on 13 and has a decent chance to get herself in the red. She converts and gets a cracking 3 on what is one of the most challenging holes out there.
