Nelly Korda, Charley Hull are the notable chasers as Haeran Ryu attempts a majors 3-peat at AIG Women’s Open

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[Photo: Morgan Harlow/R&A]

Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull and Nelly Korda are among the big names at the AIG Women’s Open within striking distance of history-chaser Haeran Ryu, the South Korean who remains on a path towards a third straight major win.

On the second day of the final major of the year, Ryu struggled on her front nine at Royal Lytham & St Annes, mixing a double-bogey and a bogey with two birdies to make the turn in one-over-par. Ryu steadied the ship with three back-nine birdies and a 69 that elevated her total to seven-under. She leads at the halfway mark by one shot over Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki.

Only two of the nine Australians in the field made the halfway cut, with Robyn Choi the best placed at one-under, tied for 14th. Hannah Green (two-over, T-31) was the only other Aussie to make the weekend.

Ryu, 25, was grouped in the opening two rounds with world No.1 Korda and fellow multiple-major champion Lydia Ko. The world No.3 said she learned plenty from the star duo as she seeks to become the fifth LPGA player to win three consecutive majors and the third to do so in the same season. The most recent was Inbee Park in 2013. Ryu would not have played any event other than majors during that streak.

“Yeah, they’re such great players, Nelly and Lydia,” Ryu said. “I learned a lot with Nelly and Lydia the last two days and I want to get more experience for this golf course and the major on the weekend.”

World No.2 Thitikul shot 73 but at five-under was only two shots off the lead. The 23-year-old Thai is chasing her first major victory after several close calls – notably, a crushing playoff loss to Australia’s Grace Kim at last year’s Evian Championship – and urged patience on the unpredictable links turf.

“You have to think on every shot,” she said. “You hit it and it’s bounce like either left or right. So I feel like patient and then commit to the shot and the wind that you see.”

Home favourite Hull backed up an opening-round 69 with a 71, combining three birdies with as many bogeys to remain at two-under and five shots behind the lead heading into the closing rounds. Fellow English player Lottie Woad is also two-under.

Ko and Korda remained in contention at one-under.

Korda was impressed by Ryu over two days at Royal Lytham, having won the first two majors of the year before Ryu took the reins of women’s golf by winning the Women’s PGA and Evian.

“Just really solid,” Korda said of Ryu. “You can tell she’s a very confident player right now, as she should be. Just won the past two majors. Just hitting it really good. Putting really, really well, too.”

A victory from either Hull or Korda, whose results on links courses were not great until a T-2 at St Andrews in 2024, would be the most resounding outcome for the event given they are women’s golf’s two biggest names. Korda is chasing a fifth major title and is poised to make a weekend run.

Korda is also seeking a maiden Women’s Open title to compete the career Grand Slam of four different major victories among the five.

“Yeah, 36 in, 36 holes to go,” Korda said. “You never know what’s going to happen. It’s links golf. Just going to try to have the same attitude I had today going into the weekend, yeah.”