LEONA MAGUIRE CARDED a level-par round of 72 to leave herself nine shots off clubhouse leader Nelly Korda at the halfway point of the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews.
The Cavan golfer had birdies on 10 and 14 but bogeys on holes 2 and 16 leave her in a tie for 27th, on one over.
Stephanie Meadow carded a 72 following her opening day 79. She is five-over with the projected cut mark being four-over. Lauren Walsh birdied the last but is eight over following a day-two round of 77.
World number one Korda — who won six times in seven starts on the LPGA Tour between January and May, including her second major at the Chevron Championship — shot to the top of the leaderboard at eight under par.
Since that impressive form to start the year, Korda has failed to even make the cut at two of the last three majors but her bogey-free 68 took the American three strokes clear of defending champion Lilia Vu and Britain’s Charley Hull.
The trio played together in a star-studded group on the opening two days.
Korda credited a change of putter for a turnaround in her form from the last couple of months.
“I just needed something different to look at. Sometimes you just need to switch it up,” she said after battling heavy wind and rain on Scotland’s east coast.
“I’m just trying to stay very present and not think about anything other than one shot at a time, and whatever golf and links golf throws at me, I’m going to take it head on.
“I think when the conditions are a little tougher, in a sense, normal golf is thrown out the window and you’re just trying to play the wind.”
World number two Vu was two under for the day to ease into contention.
Hall had topped the leaderboard on Thursday, but missed the chance to move into pole position for her first major after an even par round left her three shots back.
“I actually I thought I hit it just as good as yesterday,” said Hall.
“I just missed three or four four-foot putts, but that was early on in my round.
“But then, once I got over that, I just fell back into my stroke and it felt fine.
Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko is also among 10 players within five shots of the lead at three under par.
You can follow the leaderboard here.
