Women's Open round two: Hull aims to make cut as wind picks up at Porthcawl

BBC News

3 days ago

Update:
Date: 16:51 BST
Title: Consecutive birdies for Thitikul
Content: Hull +2, M Lee -1, Thitikul -4 (12)
Jeeno Thitikul has a spring in her step after she leaves the 12th hole having banked back-to-back birdies to move to four under.
Par for Minjee Lee and Charley Hull.
Update:
Date: 16:47 BST
Title: Birdie for Fuenfstueck
Content: Fuenfstueck -4 (3)
Germany's Laura Fuenfstueck, in the final three-ball of the day, chips in from the fairway for a birdie three on the third to get to four under.
A very welcome bonus.
She's in a four-way tie for third spot, but seven shots off the lead.
Update:
Date: 16:46 BST
Title: Post
Content: A Lee -3, A Yang -1, Maguire E (13)
American Andrea Lee has a chance at a fourth birdie of the day, but just squeezes her effort narrowly wide and settles for par.
In the same group, Ireland's Leona Maguire saves par to stay level, but South Korean Amy Yang knocks in her second consecutive birdie to go one under.
Update:
Date: 16:42 BST
Title: Hull saves par
Content: Hull +2, M Lee -1, Thitikul -3 (11)
Charley Hull's approach shot to the green on the 11th hole leaves her sandwiched on a thin strip of grass between two bunkers.
Hull putts from off the green and sees her birdie effort flash just wide of the hole before tapping in for par.
Jeeno Thitikul's aggressive approach brings sets up a simple birdie putt which she promptly dispatches. No such luck for Minjee Lee, who drops to one under with a bogey.
Update:
Date: 16:34 BST
Title: Okayama bogeys again
Content: Okayama -2 (4)
It's not Eri Okayama's day. A co-leader overnight, Okayama has just bogeyed the fourth, her third bogey across her first four holes to go slip nine shots off the leader Miyu Yamashita.
This time she slides a four-footer wide of the cup.
Update:
Date: 16:32 BST
Title: Porthcawl 'fun and challenging' - Sagstrom
Content: Sagstrom -3 (69)
Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom, twice a top-five finisher at the Women's Open, shot a three-under-par 69 today to put her three under for the tournament - which is worth a tie for seventh at the moment.
She spoke to the media earlier about the challenge of Royal Porthcawl:
"You have to keep it in play. If you're staying on the fairway, it's a lot easier to get control over the ball and you have to putt well. The greens are a bit tricky. Sometimes they break, sometimes they don't. It's links golf. You really have to strike the ball well in links golf, especially if it starts blowing.
"It's good. It's fun. It's challenging. I don't know how somebody's 11 under, that's a different story."
On her prospects for the weekend: "I think that we're probably expecting a little bit more wind over the weekend, maybe a bit of weather.
"It is one shot at a time out there. Trying to stay creative, trying to stay free and just really for me it's kind of 'paint a good picture of what shot I'm trying to hit and then commit to that'."
Update:
Date: 16:24 BST
Title: Listen live
Content: AIG Women's Open 2025
BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3
You can listen to coverage of the Women's Open on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Sounds and via the link at the top of this page.
Update:
Date: 16:22 BST
Title: Post
Content: Hull +2, M Lee -2, Thitikul -2 (10)
Gareth VincentBBC Sport Wales at Royal Porthcawl
A groan goes up around the 10th green as Charley Hull misses a short putt for par.
But Hull is not the first player to come unstuck on this hole, with the wind not helping and the pin a very awkward position.
Jeeno Thitikul and Minjee Lee can both pleased with hard-earned pars, because four is a good score on 10 right now.
Update:
Date: 16:21 BST
Title: Hull bogeys the 10th
Content: Hull +2, M Lee -2, Thitikul -2 (10)
Charley Hull has a relatively routine putt for par at the 10th, but overcooks it and mumbles something to herself. Putting is not easy when the wind gusts up.
She avoids the double bogey but moves to two over.
Neither Jeeno Thitikul nor Minjee Lee have shown signs they will be troubling the leaders. Lee has yet to make a birdie and Thitikul has just a couple to her name.
Update:
Date: 16:18 BST
Title: Okayama saves par
Content: Okayama -3 (3)
That's more like it.
Eri Okayama stops the run of bogeys, sinking a putt from about five feet for par.
Update:
Date: 16:13 BST
Title: Post
Content: Gareth VincentBBC Sport Wales at Royal Porthcawl
The 10th hole is a bit of a brute in this wind - and it has just proved very difficult for Canada's Brooke Henderson.
Her approach falls short of the green, then a heavy chip leaves her above the hole.
Three putts later, she writes down six on the card and is one over par.
Grace Kim also drops a shot to leave the Evian champion two over and battling to make the cut.
Update:
Date: 16:11 BST
Title: Struggling with the conditions?
Content: The final group went out onto the course a few moments ago and have just completed their first hole.
Of the 75 players currently on the course, only three of them are under par for their rounds today.
Meanwhile, 23 of the 69 players who have finished their rounds did so in an under-par score.
Perhaps a better demonstration than any that the wind is causing problems for the players teeing off in the later groups today.
Update:
Date: 16:11 BST
Title: Andrea Lee bogeys
Content: A Lee -3 (13)
Andrea Lee's mini-run comes to an end after she finds the bunker on the 11th.
Her chip out is a little too meaty and she ends up having to two-putt for a bogey.
Update:
Date: 16:03 BST
Title: Cut mark edges closer to two over par
Content: The top 65 and ties will make it through to the weekend.
Earlier, we said level par or one over would likely be where the cut would fall... well, it might end up being that two over par is good enough to take part in the final two rounds.
Currently, 66 players are one over par or better - but that number is falling all the time.
Among the group finished for the day on two over par are defending champion Lydia Ko and 2013 Women's Open winner Stacy Lewis.
Grace Kim, who won the Evian Championship last month, is two over par overall after 10 holes of her second round.
Update:
Date: 16:01 BST
Title: Hull misses birdie putt
Content: Hull +1, M Lee -2, Thitikul -2 (9)
Charley Hull is doing well to keep her emotions in check after another birdie putt falls short.
Her front nine has been a tale of ifs, buts and maybes.
Can she turn it around on the back nine?
Update:
Date: 15:58 BST
Title: Hull chips out of the sand
Content: Hull +1, M Lee -2, Thitikul -2 (8)
Charley Hull manages to chip out of the bunker at the ninth.
The ball whistles past the hole, but she still has a birdie chance on the green here. A difficult chance, but a chance nonetheless.
Update:
Date: 15:54 BST
Title: Okayama bogeys again
Content: Okayama -3 (2)
Meanwhile, overnight co-leader Eri Okayama is seriously wobbling. Again she is off target from the tee, she leaves a long attempt to save par on the second well short and is fortunate to walk away with just a bogey.
She's already six places down from where she was at the start of her round.
Update:
Date: 15:52 BST
Title: Andrea Lee birdies again
Content: A Lee -4 (10)
American Andrea Lee is continuing her charge up the leaderboard, birdieing the par four 10th hole to make a perfect start to the back nine.
Update:
Date: 15:48 BST
Title: Post
Content: Gareth VincentBBC Sport Wales at Royal Porthcawl
The Bristol Channel was like a mill pond this morning, but now white horses can be seen all the way west to Swansea.
All those players who were out early and experienced benign conditions must be delighted to be off the course and watching on now.
Update:
Date: 15:42 BST
Title: Hull misses birdie chance
Content: Hull +1, M Lee -2, Thitikul -2 (8)
A birdie chance goes begging for Charley Hull at a blustery eighth hole and she does well to hide her frustration. The Englishwoman needs something to ignite her second round at Royal Porthcawl.
Minjee Lee and Jeeno Thitikul both tap in for par as well.