Haeran Ryu shot a 69 to move to seven-under and take the outright lead at the AIG Women’s Open, putting her on course for a third straight Major title in 2026. Charley Hull and Lottie Woad remain in the mix for home fans, five shots back.
Haeran Ryu carded a two-under 69 in the second round of the AIG Women’s Open to move to seven-under and take sole possession of the lead at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The Korean, already a two-time Major winner in 2026 having taken the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship, recovered from a bogey and a double bogey inside her first five holes with birdies on seven, nine and 10, then closed with further gains on 15 and 18.
Ryu played her second round alongside Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, and pointed to experience rather than nerves as the difference at the top of a Major leaderboard.
“I have played golf for almost 15 years, so I think I learned a lot for being in the good position. That’s why these days I’m pretty calm and happy on the golf course,” she said. “This is a Major; nobody knows what comes up. Tomorrow I just want to be happy with my play and think about my swing.”
Kuwaki stays within touching distance
Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki sits second on six-under after a one-under 70 built on four birdies and three bogeys, one shot back of Ryu heading into the weekend.
“I got off to a slow start with a bogey, but I bounced back with three straight birdies after that. From there, I was able to settle in and play with the same mindset I had yesterday,” said Kuwaki, who pointed to the greens as the main obstacle. “Especially on the back nine, I wasn’t able to convert a few putts that I felt I should have made.”
Home interest: Hull and Woad five back
For the home fans, Charley Hull and Lottie Woad sit five shots off Ryu’s lead in an eight-way tie for sixth on five-under, alongside Spanish amateur Paula Martin Sampedro. Hull, who went round in level par, produced the shot of her day with a bunker hole-out on the 17th. “I had a couple of good bunker shots today, but that one I just had to splash it out and get it rolling on the green. It was nice to hole it,” she said, adding that some back stiffness had affected her strike.
Mimi Rhodes is among the group on one-under, five further back, keeping the Englishwoman in touch heading into moving day. Rhodes arrives at Lytham off the back of a breakout debut LET season, in which she was named 2025 Rookie of the Year and won three times, and a T19 finish at last year’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl.
Thitikul and Noh share third as the pace-setters feel the squeeze
Overnight leader Jeeno Thitikul dropped to a share of third on five-under alongside American Yealimi Noh after a round of one-over 73, with just one birdie against three bogeys. “I’m not hitting it as close to the pin as yesterday… I will try to be really patient. I know some of the situations that you have to think every shot,” said the five-time LET winner.
Noh, who carded a five-under 70 that included a double bogey on the fourth alongside five birdies, was more upbeat. “It was a really solid round. I hit my driver well and hit a lot of greens… I’m just really excited and very grateful and happy to be in this position again,” she said.
Korea’s Soo Bin Joo sits outright fifth on three-under after a 69, one shot clear of the tie for sixth.
What’s Next
The cut fell at four-over, with 68 players through to the weekend. Round three at Royal Lytham & St Annes gets under way at 8.50am BST on Saturday, with the final group — including leader Haeran Ryu — out at 2.40pm BST.
Full leaderboard HERE
Watch the highlights from Day Two
