European Solheim Cup hopefuls Lottie Woad and Charley Hull found themselves six strokes behind the leaders at the LPGA Tour's FM Championship, as American teammate Allisen Corpuz shared the top spot heading into the weekend. The English pair were tied for 27th place, both sitting at three under par after the first round. Woad, who had shown promise in round one, slipped to a one‑over 73, while Hull posted a solid two‑under 70.
Despite their modest positions, both remain in contention for a weekend surge. Allisen Corpuz, the U.S. representative, delivered a spectacular 67, joining Japan's rising star Miyu Yamashita and South Korea's Hyo‑Joo Kim at nine under par.
Yamashita, fresh off a recent victory on the LPGA Tour, continues to demonstrate her elite form just five days after tying the tour’s 72‑hole scoring record with a nine‑under performance at the CPKC Women’s Open. She added a two‑under second round to maintain her nine‑under total, while Corpuz and Kim each posted five‑under scores on Friday. Other notable performances included Morgane Metraux and Ruoning Yin, both carding 65s, and Jenny Bae with a 68, each just a stroke shy of the leaders. Nataliya Guseva matched the leaders at seven under with a 68, and Emily Kristine Pedersen also sat at seven under after a 72.
First‑round leader Sei Young Kim, after an opening 64, faltered with a 74, dropping three strokes behind the pack. The tournament also featured a broader slate of news and updates from the LPGA Tour, including live streaming options and upcoming broadcast schedules on Sky Sports. Fans can follow the latest leaderboards, video highlights, and schedule details for upcoming events.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, a key figure for the United States in the upcoming Solheim Cup, recorded her second consecutive 72‑hole round to make the cut exactly at the cut line in what is the final tournament before the Solheim Cup, set to take place in the Netherlands starting September 11. Her steady play ensures she will be ready for the team competition.
European captain Anna Nordqvist, who is set to retire after this season, also advanced to the weekend in her final pre‑retirement event. The Swedish veteran rebounded from a shaky opening 74 with an impressive 68, showing that she still possesses the competitive edge needed to lead Europe.
Meanwhile, on the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, South Africa’s Casandra Alexander extended her lead to five strokes after a brilliant second‑round 66, moving her to 15 under par for the tournament. Alexander opened the event with a record‑setting nine‑under 63 on Thursday at the Palmer South Course at The K Club, a score that remains the lowest ever recorded on that layout. Her momentum continued as she recorded an eagle‑birdie‑birdie stretch on holes 10 through 12, and after a 32‑stroke front nine, 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.
She now holds a five‑stroke advantage over Sara Kouskova (66) and Brianna Navarrosa (65). "Not as tidy as yesterday," Alexander commented on her round. "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." In the Irish contingent, Canice Screene emerged as the top Irish player, tied for eighth after making birdies on seven of her final twelve holes to finish with a 67. Leona Maguire, another Irish hopeful, was tied for 26th after posting a second‑consecutive one‑under‑par 71. Viewers can watch the ongoing action at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and the FM Championship live on Sky Sports throughout the weekend, with coverage beginning Saturday at 2:30 pm on Sky Sports Golf. For those preferring streaming, the NOW platform offers contract‑free access to the same coverage.
Golf enthusiasts looking to play the sport themselves can also find the best rates and book tee times at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. By entering a course name, city, or postal code, players can locate nearby facilities, though some searches may return no results and require a new query. Overall, the FM Championship continues to showcase a blend of established stars and emerging talent, with the Solheim Cup narrative adding extra intrigue as both teams vie for form ahead of the biennial showdown.
The performances of Woad, Hull, Corpuz, and Korda will be closely monitored, as will the progress of Alexander and her rivals on the Irish Open stage. The weekend promises further excitement, with the potential for dramatic shifts in the leaderboard and valuable experience gained by players preparing for the upcoming international competition.