Jenny Shin surged ahead with a commanding five‑stroke lead at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open on Friday, while fellow competitors Lottie Woad, Charley Hull and Nelly Korda continued to wrestle with the blustery conditions that have defined play at the historic Dundonald Links. Joining Shin as a co‑leader after the first round was Lauren Coughlin, who had also posted a six‑under‑par total. However, Coughlin’s second round proved far more erratic. She stumbled to a two‑over‑par front nine, only to recover on the back nine and finish the day at even par, leaving her four strokes under par after 36 holes.
Shin’s day began with a modest setback – a bogey on the opening hole – but she quickly regained her footing, riding the confidence generated by a spectacular opening‑round 66. She followed that with a solid five‑under‑par 67 in the second round, which not only cemented her position at the top of the leaderboard but also extended her advantage to five strokes ahead of Esther Henseleit, who sits at 11 under. "I made birdies when I could and tried really hard not to make any three‑putts," Shin explained after her round, noting how closely her second‑day score mirrored the 66 she posted on Thursday. "I have never had a five‑shot lead before.
I’m going to try and stay patient over the next two days. It is links golf." Henseleit, who started her round on the back nine, fought her way into solo second place by stringing together birdies on holes 16 and 17 and then sealing an eagle on the par‑five third. Those aggressive moves lifted her to six under par after two rounds. The cut was set at six over par, a threshold that proved unforgiving for several big‑name players.
Charley Hull, after a disappointing 78 in the opening round, found herself teetering on the cut line heading into the second round. Nevertheless, she managed to steady her game, posting a one‑under‑par 71 that included four birdies and three bogeys, ultimately securing a spot in the weekend and moving to five over par after 36 holes. Hull’s compatriot, Georgia Hall, was not as fortunate.
The Englishwoman posted a ten‑over‑par opening round and could not recover, slipping to 14 over after a second‑day tally that featured six bogeys and only two birdies, resulting in a missed cut. Defending champion Lottie Woad displayed a marked improvement on day two. After a two‑over‑par first round that featured a double bogey on the 12th, she rebounded with back‑to‑back birdies on holes 14 and 15, a bogey on 16, and another birdie on 17.
"It was pretty windy at the start," Woad said. "I made an early double, so dropped two there, obviously. Hit some really nice iron shots for the rest of the day, fairways and greens." Woad’s turnaround continued as she made the turn at two over and then added two more birdies on holes three and five, bringing her back to even par.
She modestly admitted, "I didn’t really make any putts, to be honest. I could have shot a lot better, but I was much happier with how I hit it today compared to yesterday." World No.
1 Nelly Korda, who entered the day at even par, struggled to maintain her position. Starting on the back nine, she was two under through six holes but then faltered, taking a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 17. Although she managed a birdie on the fifth, a run of four consecutive bogeys in the closing holes forced her to post a 76 for the round, leaving her four over par after two days. Four‑time major champion and Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also slipped down the leaderboard.
After an encouraging two‑under‑par opening round, she posted a seven‑over‑par 79 on Friday, dropping to five over after 36 holes. The tournament will continue with round three on Saturday, broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from 7:30 a.m. Viewers can also stream the action through NOW or catch the Sky Sports Golf Podcast for additional analysis. As the field navigates the unpredictable winds and firm fairways of Dundonald Links, the battle for the title promises further drama, with Shin looking to consolidate her lead and the rest of the contenders vying to close the gap before the final day.