ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Mao Saigo posted a 6-under 66 to lead the U.S. Women’s Open after the second round's Friday morning groupings at Erin Hills as she looks to win her second major of the year.
Saigo’s two-day total of 8-under 136 gives her a three-stroke advantage over Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked player.
Korda moved into second place by posting a 67. This was the best U.S. Women’s Open round ever for Korda, who has never finished higher than a tie for eighth in this event.
“I feel like I’ve had a very complicated relationship with U.S. Opens,” Korda said, “but I’m happy to be in the position I am heading into the weekend.”
Saigo earned her first LPGA Tour title just over a month ago in the year’s first major, as she sank a birdie putt to win a five-way playoff in the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.
The 23-year-old from Japan bounced back from some early misfortune Friday to move atop the leaderboard.
Saigo started out at No. 10 and birded No. 11 and No. 12. She bogeyed the par-5 No. 14 when she got a bad break, with her third shot hitting the flagstick, bouncing backward and rolling all the way to a bunker. But she recovered by getting four birdies in a five-hole stretch from No. 16 to No. 2.
“I thought that was not my mistake,” Saigo said through an interpreter. “I just thought to myself that it was just unlucky, and then I just changed my mind.”
Korda was nearly as effective. After not making a birdie until her 18th hole Thursday, Korda had seven of them Friday thanks to her improved putting.
“Honestly, I was hitting really good putts yesterday,” Korda said. “I was hitting it exactly where I wanted to and they just weren’t falling. It was one of those days. Today I did the same thing.”
Jing Yan, Linn Grant and Chiara Tamburlini all finished their Friday morning sessions at 4 under for the tournament, putting them four strokes behind Saigo. Tamburlini was tied with Korda for second place before getting a bogey on No. 18.
Thursday’s first round had ended with Angel Yin, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 2020 champion A Lim Kim, Jinhee Im, Yealimi Noh and Rio Takeda in a six-way tie for the lead after all of them carded 68.
Lopez Ramirez posted a 74 and Yin recorded a 75 on Friday morning, putting Lopez Ramirez at 2 under and Yin at 1 under for the tournament. Kim, Im, Noh and Takeda were set to tee off Friday afternoon on a course that measured 6,809 yards for the second round.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
