Women’s Open 2022: In Gee Chun surges to the front as Nelly Korda scrapes in for the weekend at Muirfield

In Gee Chun is well placed to land a second major of the year after climbing to the top of the Women’s Open leaderboard after 36 holes.

Those who went out in the afternoon on Friday had the better of the conditions as the biting wind from the morning subsided.

Muirfield still needed to be respected, and Chun tackled it superbly.

She went out in 35, but the fireworks took place on the back nine with four birdies.

The highlight was one she had to wait for on 13, as the ball came to rest on the edge of the hole before gravity took over.

While Chun did her good work on the back nine, it was a different story for Ashleigh Buhai who made four birdies and an eagle to go out in 30.

The South African hung on to an extent on the back nine, and got a couple of fortunate bounces, but a bogey on 18 took her back to seven-under.

Madelene Sagstrom will take confidence into the weekend after carding four birdies on the back nine, including one at 18, to get the seven-under.

A hot putter is a potent weapon and there are few better with the short stick than Inbee Park. The seven-time major winner holed a series of putts to get to six-under heading into the weekend.

Minjee Lee is bidding for a second major of the year and she added a 70 to an opening 68 to move to four-under after 36 holes.

Charley Hull overcame a torrid start – bogeying her first two holes – to card a 70 to get to one-under for the tournament.

Lydia Ko is chasing a first major win since 2016, but is well in contention after a round of 71 left her at one-under at the halfway stage. Things could have been better but for a double bogey on 18.

“I think I played really solid,” Ko said. “Not the back nine that I wanted. Missed a few birdies that could have happened. It’s obviously not the greatest feeling finishing off with a double, but on to the weekend and hopefully the goods will be able to carry on for the next couple days.”

Second Round Leaderboard

• 1. In Gee Chun, eight under
• T2. Madelene Sagstrom, seven-under
• T2. Ashleigh Buhai, seven-under
• 4. Inbee Park, six-under
• T5. Hannah Green, five-under
• T5. Miyuu Yamashita, five-under
• T7. Hinako Shibuno, four-under
• T7. Minjee Lee, four-under
• T7. Celine Boutier, four-under

Conditions were tough for those out early and Leona Maguire was one of the few to make ground with a round of 69 getting her to two-under.

The highlight for the Irish player was a stunning birdie putt on 15.

Jessica Korda played superbly on Thursday, but she was not as sharp 24 hours on and slipped back to two-under for the tournament after a round of 74. She is sat alongside Brooke Henderson and Atthaya Thitikul.

Georgia Hall cut a frustrated figure, as she had a number of unfortunate lies and bounces, but she made a string of impressive putts to keep herself in the hunt at even-par for the tournament.

Korda’s sister, world No. 2 Nelly struggled once again. But she found a birdie on 17 to get in for the weekend at two-over.

Defending champion Anna Nordqvist will not play at the weekend after finishing at four-over, with Lexi Thompson another star name to miss the cut.

One of the all-time greats of the game in Laura Davies had a final hole to forget on Friday, as she took 10 shots on the 18th.

Five of those blows took place in two bunkers, as Davies found trouble all the way up the hole. Unsurprisingly, she missed the cut after finishing at 14-over.