European Solheim Cup hopefuls Lottie Woad and Charley Hull found themselves six strokes behind the leaders at the LPGA Tour's FM Championship, while their American counterpart Allisen Corpuz shared the top spot as the weekend approached. The English pair were tied for 27th place, each sitting at three under par after the first round.
Woad, who had shown promise early on, slipped to a one‑over 73, whereas Hull posted a solid two‑under 70, leaving them both trailing the leaders by a considerable margin. Corpuz, however, delivered a blistering 67, propelling herself into a tie for the lead alongside Japan's Miyu Yamashita, who had recently captured an LPGA Tour victory, and South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim, both sitting at nine under. Yamashita, fresh off a historic performance that tied the tour's 72‑hole scoring record with a nine‑under win at the CPKC Women’s Open just five days earlier, continued to demonstrate her form by carding a two‑under second round, maintaining her nine‑under total. Corpuz and Kim each added five under for their Friday rounds, keeping them firmly in contention.
Trailing the leaders by a single stroke were Morgane Metraux and Ruoning Yin, both posting 65s, and Jenny Bae with a 68. Nataliya Guseva matched a 68, while Emily Kristine Pedersen recorded a 72, both sitting at seven under.
The early leader, Sei Young Kim, who opened with a spectacular 64, faltered on the second day with a 74, dropping three strokes behind the new leaders. In other news, World No. 1 Nelly Korda recorded her second consecutive 72‑hole round, comfortably making the cut at the final pre‑Solheim Cup event in the Netherlands, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports starting September 11.
European captain Anna Nordqvist, playing her final event before retirement, also advanced to the weekend after rebounding from a 74 in the first round with a 68. Meanwhile, South African contender Casandra Alexander extended her lead at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, pulling ahead by five strokes after a remarkable second‑round 66 that brought her to 15 under par for the tournament.
Alexander had opened the event with a record‑setting nine‑under 63 on Thursday at the Palmer South Course at The K Club, and she continued to impress with an eagle‑birdie‑birdie stretch on holes 10, 11, and 12. After a front‑nine of 32, she added a second eagle on the third hole, a bogey on the sixth, and a birdie on the seventh, showcasing a blend of aggressive play and resilience. She now leads Sara Kouskova, who posted a 66, and Brianna Navarrosa, who recorded a 65, by a comfortable five‑stroke margin.
"Not as tidy as yesterday," Alexander commented, noting that she left some putts short and faced a few awkward wedge shots, but overall she was pleased with her performance. "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 front, Canice Screene emerged as the top Irish player, tied for eighth after a string of birdies on seven of her final twelve holes earned her a 67.
Leona Maguire, another Irish hopeful, was tied for 26th after posting a second‑consecutive one‑under 71. Fans can follow the action at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and the FM Championship throughout the weekend via Sky Sports’ live coverage, which will continue on Saturday from 2:30 pm on Sky Sports Golf. Viewers also have the option to stream the events without a contract through NOW, and can explore the latest Sky Sports deals.
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Overall, the tournament continues to deliver a thrilling mix of emerging talent and seasoned professionals, with the Solheim Cup narrative adding an extra layer of excitement as European players chase their American rivals while preparing for the upcoming team showdown. The competition remains tight, and with each round, the leaderboard reshapes, promising more dramatic finishes and memorable moments for fans worldwide.