AIG Ladies’s Open: Charley Hull able to push Nelly Korda for main victory over weekend at St Andrews | Golf Information

Charley Hull is relishing a weekend tussle with Nelly Korda on the AIG Ladies’s Open and believes it is just a chilly putter that has prevented her being nearer to the world No 1 on the midway stage.

Hull held a one-shot lead after the opening day at St Andrews, the place she carded a superb five-under 67 in windy situations, solely to wrestle on the greens throughout the early a part of her second spherical across the Outdated Course.

The Englishwoman made three three-putts throughout her opening 11 holes and was three over for her spherical with 5 holes to play, earlier than three late birdies noticed her salvage a level-par 72 to remain inside three pictures of Korda.

“I actually thought I hit it just as good as yesterday, I just missed three or four four-foot putts, but that was early on in my round,” Hull mentioned. “I didn’t feel like I putted quite as good, but I felt like I struggled with the pace today.

“Yeah I am solely three pictures behind. That is nothing going into the weekend, particularly on this golf course. Like I mentioned, I left quite a lot of putts on the market. I feel Nelly had 30 putts and I had 36 putts. In order that’s six putts that I’ve misplaced to her on the greens.

“I’m just going to go out there and do some pace putting this afternoon, but I felt like I hit the ball pretty well. I feel like I’m equally hitting it as good [as Korda], she just holed a few more putts than me today.”

On her sturdy end, the place she holed a long-range birdie on the par-five fifth, picked up a shot on the subsequent and two-putted the driveable ninth gap, Hull instructed Sky Sports activities: “I made some good birdies coming in and I’ve got some momentum going into tomorrow.”

Hull is joined on 5 beneath by defending champion and taking part in companion Lilia Vu, who beat her to victory at Walton Heath final 12 months, after she birdied two of her final three holes to shut a second-round 70 and in addition get to 5 beneath.

“I think Lilia is the one to watch, as well,” Hull added. “When it gets windy she kind of just sticks in there. She’s a good scrambler.”

Will Korda return to profitable methods?

The pair will each be chasing down Korda, who made a bogey-free 68 – equalling the bottom spherical of the morning wave – to maneuver into pole place to say a seventh LPGA Tour victory and second main title of the season.

“During a tournament, you’re never going to have your A game throughout all four days… it’s about adapting with your B and C game as well,” Korda instructed Sky Sports activities. “Today I hit it really well and it feels really nice when it clicks and it all goes where you’re envisaging your shots and it’s all flowing.

“It is an incredible confidence enhance. It is solely 36 holes, we nonetheless have a protracted method to go… however each time one thing clicks like that it feels very nice.”

Korda gained six LPGA Tour titles in seven occasions earlier this season however has did not discover a top-20 end in her 5 begins since, with the two-time main winner introducing a brand new putter into her bag to attempt to enhance outcomes.

“I just needed to look at something different,” Korda defined. “It rolls really nicely. I’m very pleased with it – I have no complaints. Sometimes you just need to switch it up.

“It is my first time ever placing a TaylorMade putter in play as a professional. I used to have one after I was in junior golf, however I’ve gained so many instances this 12 months with the putter that I had and I simply wished to type of have a look at one thing completely different.”

Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports! Live coverage continues on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the ladies’s majors and extra sport with NOW.