Charley Hull, Lottie Woad and world No.1 Nelly Korda all experienced a testing first day on the links at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, each posting scores above par as the wind howled across Dundonald. Meanwhile, Jenny Shin and Lauren Coughlin surged ahead, sharing the lead after both carded impressive six-under 66 rounds. In Thursday's opening round, Shin and Coughlin each posted a tidy six-under 66 despite the blustery conditions that made club selection and ball flight a constant puzzle.

Their scores placed them a single stroke ahead of South Korea’s A Lim Kim, who recorded a five-under round, and Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson, who finished at four under. Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also enjoyed a solid round, finishing two under par; a couple of late bogeys on the final three holes kept her from joining the leaders, but she still demonstrated why she remains a formidable competitor. The wind intensified in the afternoon, turning the course into a true test of resilience. Hull, who began her round with a mis‑hit off the tee on the opening hole, ultimately finished six over par after a disastrous quadruple bogey on the par‑five fifth.

Her early struggles began when she failed to get the ball close enough for a par on the first hole, and the trouble compounded on the fifth. A tentative birdie attempt saw her putter catch a subtle slope, sending the ball down a bank and into the rough. Hull tried three times to chip the ball back onto the green, only succeeding on the third attempt after a delicate wedge shot.

She then holed the subsequent putt, but the earlier mishap had already cost her dearly. Two additional bogeys and a lone birdie later, Hull closed with a six‑over 84. Defending champion Lottie Woad also wrestled with the gusty conditions.

She opened with three over through the first four holes and eventually posted a two‑over 74. A double bogey on the third and a bogey on the fourth set her back, though she managed a birdie on the fifth to halt the slide. The front nine proved especially unforgiving; a bogey on the eighth left her four over after nine holes. "The front nine was very difficult.

The wind was pretty strong from the get‑go," Woad explained, noting she found eight of the 14 fairways but still struggled to get the ball close to the pins. "There were a few interesting pin placements on the front nine with the wind, and it was tough to get it close.

I didn’t make enough putts to really be under par. But for me, two over is not disastrous.

I’m still going to be in it. A day of not trying to play yourself out of it, really." Her comments underscored the mental challenge of staying patient when the elements dominate play.

Nelly Korda, the current world number one, also felt the bite of the wind but managed to finish level par. After a modest one‑over front nine, she rallied on the back nine, notably sinking a spectacular 70‑foot putt for birdie on the par‑three fourth. She capped the round with an eagle‑chance putt on the 18th that fell just short, leaving her at even par.

Korda’s accuracy off the tee remained evident; she found the fairway nine times out of 14, a respectable figure given the firm, fast conditions that forced her to adjust her usual driver strategy. Georgia Hall, who is gearing up for a return to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the 2026 AIG Women’s Open, endured perhaps the toughest day of the field, posting a ten‑over 82. Like Hull, Hall was battered by the wind and suffered a quintuple bogey on the par‑five 14th, sandwiched between two additional bogeys.

The string of high scores highlighted how even top‑ranked players can be humbled by the elements when the links turn into a wind tunnel. Amid the struggles, 2024 champion Lauren Coughlin thrived.

She recorded eight birdies in her round, a performance that could have left her two strokes clear of Shin had she not missed a few short putts. "I played really solid," Coughlin said after her round.

"It was pretty difficult out there. I’ve never really played it when it’s been this firm, especially off the tee, so quite a few different things off the tee than normal where I used to be able to hit driver a lot of places." Her adaptability and willingness to mix up her tee shots paid dividends on a day when many found the course unyielding.

Overall, Thursday showcased the classic Scottish links narrative: the wind dictating outcomes, the most patient and adaptable golfers rising to the occasion, and the rest battling to stay within striking distance. The leaderboard after day one featured Shin and Coughlin at the summit, followed closely by Kim and Pettersson, while the likes of Hull, Woad, Hall and others will look to regroup and adjust their strategies for the second round. Fans can catch the action live on Sky Sports Golf from 9:30 a.m.

on Friday for round two, and those interested in experiencing the challenge firsthand can book a tee time at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland via the provided booking platform. The tournament promises more drama as the wind continues to test the field and the chase for the Scottish Open title intensifies.