Lottie Woad and Charley Hull found themselves just five strokes behind the leader at the halfway point of the AIG Women's Open, while the surging South Korean star Haeran Ryu surged to the top of the leaderboard with a strong showing. Ryu, who is eyeing a historic third straight major victory—a feat not achieved since Inbee Park—rebounded from an early three‑over stretch to finish the round with a two‑under 69, highlighted by five birdies.
Her comeback lifted her to seven under par, putting her one shot ahead of Japan's Shiho Kuwaki, who had posted a solid 70 to claim the early clubhouse lead. Overnight leader Jeeno Thitikul trailed by a single stroke, as did American Solheim Cup hopeful Yealimi Noh, both sitting at six under. Ryu's round was a masterclass in resilience. After a shaky start that left her three strokes over par through the first five holes, she steadied her game with a string of birdies that turned the tide.
Her birdie run included a crucial birdie on the par‑four 15th and a dramatic 15‑foot putt on the final hole, sealing a two‑under 69 and reinforcing her bid to become only the fifth player ever to capture three consecutive major titles. World No. 1 Nelly Korda also remained in contention, improving her standing with a second‑round 68 that moved her to one under par.
Korda, who already claimed the season's first two majors, is poised to challenge Ryu for the top spot. Defending champion Miyu Yamashita, however, missed the cut after a disappointing 77 that featured a quadruple‑bogey, ending her run early. Charley Hull, a five‑time major runner‑up, admitted she had managed only about three hours of sleep before the round.
Despite the fatigue, she produced a level‑par 71, matching Woad's score. Hull's round featured a promising start: after a bogey on the third hole, she rebounded with birdies on the sixth and eighth, briefly putting herself in contention. Mistakes on the 10th and 15th holes caused her to slip back, but a spectacular chip‑in birdie on the 17th reignited hopes of a breakthrough performance.
"Really looking forward to it," Hull said of the weekend ahead. "It'll be loads of fun.
My nerves have settled, and I'm not as far back as I was last year." Woad, who started her round in the afternoon, struggled to save par on the second hole but then produced three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the sixth. She stayed within two strokes of the lead until a bogey on the 14th and a bunker mishap on the final hole added two more strokes, leaving her at five under. "Everyone knows any British player wants to win this event," Woad told Sky Sports.
"You can feel the crowd supporting you, but you also sense their nerves. I try to ignore it and use the energy positively.
Patience and discipline are key; par is a good score here, and my approach play has been solid." Thitikul quickly lost her overnight advantage after a bogey on the third hole, while Kuwaki, playing ahead of the leaders, sparked a three‑birdie run starting on the fourth. The world No. 2, however, struggled on the greens, posting a 73 that left her trailing. Kuwaki's round mixed four birdies with three bogeys, and she appeared poised for the outright lead until Ryu's birdie surge from the seventh to the fifteenth reclaimed the top spot.
Ryu's final birdie came on the 18th, a 15‑foot putt that capped an impressive comeback and kept alive her chance to become the fifth player in history to win three majors in a row. She played alongside Korda, who birdied all three par‑fives and improved her total by five strokes from an opening‑round 73. Other notable players in the group included 2024 champion Lydia Ko, former major winner Céline Boutier, and England's Mimi Rhodes, all sitting at one under. Chiara Tamburlini faced a tense wait regarding her Solheim Cup qualification after missing the cut.
Team Europe will finalize its eight automatic qualifiers on Sunday evening, with Swedish veteran Anna Nordqvist set to announce her captain's picks on Monday afternoon during a live Sky Sports broadcast. Nordqvist herself posted a one‑under 70, keeping her in contention for a spot. The AIG Women's Open continues to draw attention as fans anticipate who will ultimately claim the title.
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