Lottie Woad and Charley Hull both find themselves five strokes behind the leader at the halfway point of the AIG Women's Open, while the surging Haeran Ryu has surged to the top of the leaderboard after a strong second round. Ryu, who is aiming to become the first golfer since Inbee Park to capture three majors in a row, turned a shaky start—three over par after the first five holes—into a spectacular comeback, carding five birdies and finishing the round with a two-under 69 at the historic Royal Lytham & St Annes course. The South Korean, now ranked world No.
3, moved to seven under par, pulling ahead of Japan's Shiho Kuwaki, who had posted an early clubhouse lead with a second‑round 70. Overnight leader Jeeno Thitikul fell a shot back, with American Solheim Cup hopeful Yealimi Noh also trailing by one. Ryu's performance not only put her in a comfortable lead but also placed her within striking distance of a historic three‑peat, a feat achieved by only a handful of players in the modern era. Both Woad and Hull posted even‑par 71s, each carding two bogeys in the final five holes of their rounds.
Their scores left them at two under for the tournament, keeping them firmly in contention as the weekend approaches. World No. 1 Nelly Korda also remains in the mix after improving her second‑round score to a 68, which lifted her to one under par and kept her within touching distance of Ryu's lead.
Defending champion Miyu Yamashita, however, struggled, posting a 77 that included a quadruple‑bogey and resulted in a missed cut. Hull admitted she had only about three hours of sleep before teeing off for her second round. The Englishwoman, a five‑time major runner‑up, managed to erase a bogey on the third hole with birdies on the sixth and eighth, showing resilience early in her round. Mistakes at the 10th and 15th holes caused her to slip back, but a spectacular chip‑in birdie on the par‑four 17th reignited her hopes of finally breaking through for a major title.
"Really looking forward to it," Hull said about the upcoming weekend. "It's going to be loads of fun.
I feel like now my nerves have settled down. Not too far back going into the weekend – better than I was last year!" Woad, who started her round in the afternoon, missed a chance to save par on the second hole but then produced a burst of three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the sixth. She remained within two strokes of the lead until a bogey on the 14th and a bunker mishap on the final par‑four dropped her back. "I think everyone knows any British player will want to win this event," Woad told Sky Sports.
"You can tell the crowd are pulling for you, but you can also sense when they are nervous. I am trying to ignore it as much as possible but use the support as a positive. Patience and discipline are very good.
Par is a pretty good out here, and I think I've been hitting it well approach‑play‑wise." Thitikul quickly surrendered her overnight advantage after a bogey on the third hole, while Kuwaki, playing several groups ahead, launched a three‑birdie run starting at the fourth. The world No. 2, however, struggled on the greens throughout her round, ultimately posting a 73.
Kuwaki's round was a roller‑coaster of four birdies and three bogeys, and she seemed poised for the outright lead until Ryu responded with three birdies over a four‑hole stretch beginning at the seventh, plus another at the par‑four 15th. Ryu sealed her comeback with a 15‑foot birdie putt on the final hole, reinforcing her bid to become only the fifth player ever to win three consecutive major championships.
Ryu was paired with Korda, who had already secured the first two majors of the year. Korda birdied all three par‑five holes, contributing to a five‑shot improvement from her opening‑round 73 and moving her to one under par.
Other notable players in the group included 2024 champion Lydia Ko, former major winner Celine 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, positioning her among the hopefuls heading into the final stages of selection. The AIG Women's Open continues to generate excitement as fans anticipate who will ultimately claim the coveted green jacket.
Live coverage will run throughout the weekend on Sky Sports, with additional streaming options available without a contract. Golf enthusiasts can also explore discounted rates and book tee times at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland, ensuring that the excitement of the tournament extends beyond the broadcast and onto the fairways for players of all skill levels.