Lottie Woad charged within a shot of the halfway lead at the LPGA Tour’s Kroger Queen City Championship, as defending champion Charley Hull stumbled with a nightmare bogey burst.
Woad followed an opening-round 70 with a six-under 66 on Friday morning at Maketewah Country Club, mixing seven birdies with a lone bogey to stay in touch with former world No 1 Jin Young Ko and American Amanda Doherty.
The Englishwoman raced up the leaderboard with four birdies in her opening six holes and added back-to-back gains around the turn to get to six under, before cancelling out a bogey at the fourth - her 13th - by picking up a shot on her penultimate hole.
"There was less wind, so it was a lot more scorable," Woad said. "Definitely hit it better off the tee. I hit more fairways and just hit really good approaches."
Woad was briefly joined in a share of second by Hull, who followed an eagle at the par-five seventh with birdies at the eighth and 10th, only for last year's winner to finish with six bogeys in her last eight holes.
Hull dropped a shot at the 11th and posted a three-bogey burst from the 13th, with successive blemishes at the 17th and 18th seeing her post a two-over 72 and drop eight shots off the halfway lead.
Ko set the early pace on seven under after rounds of 67 and 66 over the first two days, with Lydia Ko two back on five under and world No 1 Nelly Korda alongside world No 2 Jeeno Thitikul within three of the lead after second-round 67s.
Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist posted a two-under 68 to move to two under, as England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff made a hole-in-one at the par-three 12th - the seventh of her career - to safely reach the weekend.
On the Ladies European Tour, Esther Henseleit took a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Amundi German Masters.
On a slightly tougher day on the North Course at Green Eagle Golf Courses, Henseleit mixed five birdies with three bogeys to post a two-under 71 to move to nine under and a shot clear of Sara Kouskova.
"It was a bit up and down," said Henseleit. "It was nine-under last year that won it. I am definitely happy with the score. It has been a bit more scoreable than last year for sure. I'm always happy leading a tournament after two days."
German trio Alexandra Försterling, Chiara Noja and Leonie Harm share third spot with Norway's Dorthea Forbrigd, while England's Esme Hamilton and Meghan MacLaren are four off the halfway lead after rounds of 70 and 72 respectively.
Watch both events throughout the weekend live on Your Site. Day three of the Amundi German Masters is live from 1pm on Your Site Golf, with the Kroger Queen City Championship live from 8pm on Your Site Mix. or .
