New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko tamed wet and windy conditions to move up the leaderboard and into contention at the halfway stage of British Open in Scotland, the year's first women's major.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Starting the day in a share of 14th Ko carded a second round even par 71 to climb to a tie for fourth, on one-over for the tournament, just two shots behind the leader, Sweden's Dani Holmqvist.
Holmqvist was the only player in the field at Royal Troon (that made the cut) to make an under-par score.
The Swede carded a second round 70 to go one-under for the championship while strong gusts and rain at the Scottish links continued to make life so difficult for the players that the cut line eventually came at nine-over.
The 32-year-old Holmqvist was the only player on the par-71 course who came close to taming the links over the two days, even though her four birdies on Friday were offset by three bogeys.
"Conditions were really tough," she said. "I felt like it was brutal out there but I'm happy to get in under par. We had a lot of crosswinds and the front nine played pretty long.
"I think I would just need to stick to my game plan. You can't really do more on this course and with these conditions. They have been so tough these two days."
American Austin Ernst, who also carded 70, and Germany's Sophia Popov (72) were tied for second at even par.
Ko is among five players tied for fourth.
Overnight leader Amy Olson, who carded a four-under 67 to lead by three on Thursday, followed up with a miserable, birdie-free 81, featuring six bogeys and two double bogeys, to finish at six-over-par overall, tied for 33rd.
Meanwhile, fellow New Zealander Danny Lee is outright fourth at the latest PGA tour event in Massachusetts following a second round seven under par 64.
Lee is 12 under for the tournament, three shots back from the leader, American Dustin Johnson, who went 9-under on his opening nine holes for the lowest nine-hole score in the PGA tour's history.
-Reuters/RNZ
