Ryu Hae-ran takes halfway lead at Women's Open despite rocky start to second round

[p]The world number three [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hae-ran-ryu/8fKOxFeb/"]Ryu[/a], bidding for her ‌third successive major triumph after winning the PGA Championship and ‌this month's Evian Championship, bogeyed her third hole and double-bogeyed the fifth ‌to slip back.[/p][p]But the South Korean responded superbly and was flawless ‌after that with five birdies, including one on the 18th that gave her the outright lead heading into the weekend.[/p][embed guid="ea59e9fc-454a-440f-8821-fd2b7652ae0e" url="https://x.com/GolfNBS/status/2083018309453164598" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I don't want to focus on other players. I will just keep thinking about ‌my golf and the golf course," [/b]Ryu told ⁠reporters. [b]"A lot of great players in here, ‌so that's why I just want to think about my golf."[/b][/p][p]Japan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kuwaki-shiho/UPoseROP/"]Shiho Kuwaki[/a] went out ​early and was the long-time clubhouse leader after carding a solid one-under 70 on a day marked by extremely slow play with the afternoon ​groups taking well over five hours.[/p][p]Defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yamashita-miyu/ULhq23PC/"]Miyu Yamashita[/a] was packing her bags after a quadruple bogey at the par-four 18th meant she missed the cut ⁠with a second-round 77.[/p][p]Overnight leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thitikul-atthaya/l4QnCX47/"]​Jeeno Thitikul[/a] of Thailand went round in nine more shots than her stunning first-round 64 as a two-over 73 left her tied with American Yealimi Noh, two shots off the lead, while Joo Soo-bin was a further two shots adrift and ‌alone in fifth place.[/p][p][b]"I didn't hit close to the pins as I did yesterday. Maybe the pin positions were kind of hard,"[/b] Thitikul said by way of explanation for her relative struggle. [b]"Just going to have to be patient at the weekend."[/b][/p][p]World number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korda-nelly/4OpkdK7D/"]Nelly Korda[/a], like Ryu bidding for a third major this season, hit back after an opening-round 73 with a six-birdie 68 putting her in the mix for the weekend at one under along with 2024 champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand.[/p][p][b]"Definitely better than yesterday," [/b]said Korda.[/p][p]England's world number five [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woad-lottie/z9mmqaAC/"]Lottie ‌Woad[/a] maintained her steady progress with a level-par 71 although a bogey at ​the 18th, only her third in two rounds, where she drove into ‌a deep pot bunker, left her five shots adrift of Ryu.[/p][p]Woad is trying to become the first home winner since Georgia Hall, also at Lytham, in 2018.[/p][p]She was in a group of eight players packed together on two under, including compatriot Charley Hull.[/p][p]Japan's Minami Katsu and American duo Lucy ⁠Li and Jing Yan are also on ⁠two under after all shooting ‌three-under 68s.[/p]