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| Georgia Hall |
The diminutive 28-year-old from Bangkok had made just one cut in eight previous starts in the championship but that did not stop her firing a second successive 67 to take a one-shot lead at the halfway stage on ten under-par 134.
What made her performance all-the more-impressive was that the Thai golfer played all 36-holes without dropping a single shot on what is widely regarded as one of the most demanding courses on the GB & I links circuit.
Home challenge still strong
The only other player in the field to play the first 36-holes without a blemish is 2017 Ladies European Tour No. 1, Georgia Hall, who was tied for third place 12 months ago at Kingsbarns and is challenging again after adding a 68 to her opening 67.
The 22-year-old from Bournemouth began the round with eight straight pars before posting her first red number with a birdie on the ninth. She made further advances at the 13th, 15th and 16th and will go into the weekend with the support of the home crowd behind her as she bids to become the first British champion since Catriona Matthew at Lytham in 2009 who finished on 3 under par and tied in 15th place
Hole-in-one again
For the second day in row there was a hole-in-one on the ninth which resulted in title sponsors Ricoh handing out a £2,000 bonus as part of its drive to raise funds for raise funds of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
On the first day it was England’s Florentyna Parker who posted the magic number and 24-hours later it was the turn of Canada’s Brooke Henderson whose ace with a 9-iron helped her post a 70 and finish alongside Parker, America’s Mina Harigae, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom on five under par 139.
The cut fell was at one over par 145 and among the players to miss out were Charley Hull, Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Inbee Park and Mel Reid and Kylie Walker
The Asia-Pacific champion Atthaya Thitikul carded rounds of 73 and 71 to be the only amateur to make the cut and is guaranteed the Smyth Salver awarded to the leading amateur provided she completes the next two rounds.
