American Mo Martin fired a second consecutive 69 to take the halfway lead at six-under-par in the Ricoh Women's British Open, while England's amateur Georgia Hall is the best-placed home player.
American Mo Martin shot a second consecutive 69 to take the halfway lead at six-under-par in the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale, three shots clear of Spain's Beatriz Recari and former US Women's Open champion So Yeon Ryu.
With a clear game plan in mind, the 31-year-old from California, who is currently ranked world number 99 said:
“It's always nice when your plan pans out. So it's fun to be here.”
After shooting a round that included five birdies and two bogeys, Martin added:
“My caddie, Kyle, and I, just figured out where the widest parts of the fairway were, where I would have the best approaches into the greens. I don't hit it particularly long, so just capitalising on my accuracy. And then on a course like this, I think I hit the last two ‑‑ I think I hit one more 3‑wood today, so four and five 3‑woods off the tee, and that's particularly unusual for me. I'm usually driver all the time. But just picking good targets, that's really key on this golf course, and executing it.”
Solheim Cup player Recari, who has been struggling with hip and back injuries this year, birdied the last three holes on her way to carding the low round of the day 67, matched by Korea’s Sun-Ju Ahn thanks to four birdies in the last five holes to finish two-under-par.
England's amateur Georgia Hall is the best-placed home player after adding a 72 to her opening 73 to lie one-over-par alongside defending champion Stacy Lewis, while Laura Davies was two shots further back after a 72.
Scotland’s Vikki Laing produced the shot of the day, holing a 5-wood from 240 yards for an albatross on the par-five 17th on her way to a 68, a 10-shot improvement on her opening round.
The halfway cut fell at seven over par and many of the big names struggled in the tough conditions including US Open champion Michelle Wie who missed out by two shots after a 78.
Collated second round scores:
138 - Mo Martin (USA) 69 69
141 - So Yeon Ryu (KOR) 71 70, Beatriz Recari (ESP) 74 67
142 - Sun-Ju Ahn (KOR) 75 67, Julieta Granada (PAR) 72 70
143 - Amelia Lewis (USA) 72 71, Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 75 68, Amy Yang (KOR) 71 72, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 73 70
144 - Jessica Korda (USA) 72 72, Inbee Park (KOR) 72 72, Shanshan Feng (CHN) 73 71, Azahara Munoz (ESP) 72 72, Morgan Pressel (USA) 70 74, Eun-Hee Ji (KOR) 74 70
145 - Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 72 73, Ai Miyazato (JPN) 72 73, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 76 69, Stacy Lewis (USA) 71 74, Jenny Shin (KOR) 73 72, Emma Talley (USA) 72 73, Georgia Hall (ENG) 73 72
146 - Vikki Laing (SCO) 78 68, Hannah Jun (USA) 75 71, Chella Choi (KOR) 73 73, Angela Stanford (USA) 74 72
147 - Jeong Jang (KOR) 73 74, Ayako Uehara (JPN) 68 79, Erina Hara (JPN) 73 74, Jiyai Shin (KOR) 72 75, Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 73 74, Laura Davies (ENG) 75 72, Miki Saiki (JPN) 76 71
148 - Diana Luna (ITA) 76 72, Xi Yu Lin (CHN) 74 74, Hee Young Park (KOR) 76 72, Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 75 73, Haru Nomura (JPN) 75 73, Lydia Ko (NZL) 72 76, Paula Creamer (USA) 75 73, Meena Lee (KOR) 73 75, Brittany Lang (USA) 73 75, Karine Icher (FRA) 76 72, Jee Young Lee (KOR) 76 72, Mina Harigae (USA) 70 78, Marina Alex (USA) 72 76, Ayaka Watanabe (JPN) 76 72, Brittany Lincicome (USA) 76 72
149 - Belen Mozo (ESP) 77 72, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 76 73, Austin Ernst (USA) 76 73, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 74 75, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 79 70, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 70 79, Dori Carter (USA) 73 76, Lexi Thompson (USA) 72 77, Nikki Campbell (AUS) 77 72, Ji Young Oh (KOR) 76 73, Charley Hull (ENG) 73 76
150 - Kristy Mcpherson (USA) 74 76, Rikako Morita (JPN) 75 75, Alison Walshe (USA) 74 76, Mika Miyazato (JPN) 78 72, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 72 78, Christina Kim (USA) 79 71, Alena Sharp (CAN) 74 76, Il Hee Lee (KOR) 76 74, Beth Allen (USA) 77 73, Thidapa Suwannapura (THA) 76 74, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 77 73
Missed the cut:
151 - Stephanie Na (AUS) 79 72, Candie Kung (TPE) 76 75, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 75 76, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 76 75, Shiho Oyama (JPN) 79 72, Maria Balikoeva (RUS) 75 76, Karrie Webb (AUS) 72 79, Sandra Gal (GER) 78 73
152 - Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 79 73, Sophie Walker (ENG) 77 75, Hannah Burke (ENG) 79 73, Amy Boulden (WAL) 78 74, Haeji Kang (KOR) 78 74, I.K. Kim (KOR) 77 75, Mi Hyang Lee (KOR) 75 77, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 74 78, Stacey Keating (AUS) 74 78
153 - Su-Hyun Oh (AUS) 76 77, Lucy Williams (ENG) 76 77, Sun Young Yoo (KOR) 79 74, Ashleigh Simon (RSA) 81 72, Gerina Piller (USA) 76 77, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 78 75, Line Vedel (DEN) 78 75, O Sattaya (THA) 79 74, Amy Anderson (USA) 76 77, Stephanie Meadow (NIR) 77 76, Katie Futcher (USA) 75 78, Michelle Wie (USA) 75 78, Cheyenne Woods (USA) 78 75, Na Yeon Choi (KOR) 78 75, Holly Clyburn (ENG) 71 82
154 - Lauren Taylor (ENG) 79 75, Liz Young (ENG) 82 72, Mariajo Uribe (COL) 83 71, Kim Kaufman (USA) 78 76, Yani Tseng (TPE) 82 72, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 78 76, Minjee Lee (AUS) 83 71, Danielle Kang (USA) 75 79
155 - Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 78 77, Camilla Lennarth (SWE) 77 78, Laetitia Beck (ISR) 78 77, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) 75 80, Mirim Lee (KOR) 77 78
156 - Christel Boeljon (NED) 75 81, Trish Johnson (ENG) 78 78, Katie Burnett (USA) 80 76, Misuzu Narita (JPN) 77 79
157 - Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 79 78, Tiffany Joh (USA) 79 78, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 76 81, Kylie Walker (SCO) 82 75, Jacqui Concolino (USA) 81 76, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 78 79, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 77 80, Catriona Matthew (SCO) 74 83
158 - Louise Larsson (SWE) 76 82, Mamiko Higa (JPN) 78 80, Karen Stupples (ENG) 77 81, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) 82 76, Paz Echeverria (CHL) 76 82
159 - Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 76 83, Brooke Pancake (USA) 83 76
160 - Emily Kristine Pedersen (DNK) 82 78
161 - Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (THA) 78 83, Sally Watson (SCO) 80 81
163 - Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) 85 78
166 - Bree Arthur (AUS) 82 84
167 - Cathryn Bristow (NZL) 85 82
168 - Holly Aitchison (ENG) 84 84
Image: Getty Images
