Lottie Woad and Charley Hull, two members of the European Solheim Cup contingent, found themselves six strokes off the leaders at the FM Championship on the LPGA Tour, where their American counterpart Allisen Corpuz was sharing the top spot as the weekend approached. The English pair were tied for 27th place, both sitting at three-under-par after the first round; Woad slipped from a promising start with a one-over 73, while Hull posted a solid two-under 70. In contrast, Corpuz carded an impressive 67, joining Japan's rising star Miyu Yamashita—who had just claimed victory on the LPGA Tour the previous week—and South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim, all three sitting at nine under par.
Yamashita remains in contention just five days after equalling the tour's 72‑hole scoring record with a nine‑under win at the CPKC Women’s Open. She followed her opening round with a two‑under second round to maintain her nine‑under total, while Corpuz and Kim each recorded five‑under rounds on Friday, keeping the leaderboard tightly packed. Trailing the leaders by a single stroke were Morgane Metraux (65), Ruoning Yin (65) and Jenny Bae (68).
Nataliya Guseva (68) and Emily Kristine Pedersen (72) were both seven under. First‑round leader Sei Young Kim, after an opening 64, faltered with a 74 and fell three strokes behind the pack.
In other news, World No. 1 Nelly Korda posted her second consecutive 72‑hole total of even par, comfortably making the cut in the final pre‑Solheim Cup event in the Netherlands, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports starting September 11.
European captain Anna Nordqvist also secured a place in the weekend’s action in what will be her last tournament before retirement. The Swedish veteran rebounded from an opening 74 with a tidy 68, demonstrating the resilience that has defined her career. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander extended her lead at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open to five strokes after a second‑round 66, bringing her to 15‑under for the tournament.
Alexander opened the event with a historic nine‑under 63 on Thursday—a record for the Palmer South Course at The K Club—and continued to impress with a string of birdies and eagles on holes 10, 11 and 12. After a front‑nine of 32, she added another eagle on the third hole of the back nine, followed by a bogey on the sixth and a birdie on the seventh, illustrating the ebb and flow of a high‑level round. She now holds a five‑stroke advantage over Sara Kouskova (66) and Brianna Navarrosa (65). Reflecting on her performance, Alexander said, "Not as tidy as yesterday.
I left some putts right in the throat and had some awkward wedge numbers. But overall pretty good.
It was always going to be hard to follow up yesterday's round. Sometimes that's really difficult to get two days really flowing and going.
Two eagles helped the situation. Six‑under, I'm very happy." On the Irish side, Canice Screene emerged as the top local player, tied for eighth after a brilliant finish that featured birdies on seven of her final twelve holes, culminating in a 67.
Leona Maguire, another Irish hopeful, was tied for 26th after posting a second‑consecutive one‑under‑par 71. Both the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship will be available for live viewing throughout the weekend on Sky Sports, with coverage from Ireland beginning Saturday at 2:30 pm on Sky Sports Golf. Fans can also stream the action without a contract via NOW, taking advantage of Sky Sports’ latest deals. For golfers looking to experience the courses themselves, Sky Sports offers the opportunity to book a round at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland.
By entering a course name, city, or postcode, users can find the best prices and secure a tee time. Overall, the weekend promises a blend of high‑stakes competition and personal milestones: European players chasing an American rival, a world‑number‑one securing her place in the Solheim Cup lineup, and a retiring captain making a final statement on the course.
As the tournaments progress, the narratives of perseverance, emerging talent, and seasoned expertise will continue to intertwine, offering golf enthusiasts a rich tapestry of stories to follow.