With a new putter and all her old dazzle of early 2024, Nelly Korda has taken a grip on the Women's British Open at the halfway stage, opening a three-shot lead over the field.
After another windswept day at St Andrews when Steph Kyriacou and Grace Kim proved the only survivors among Australia's seven-strong contingent, the American must now be scenting her third major crown after a blemish-free performance amid rainy gusts.
For the second straight day, the world No.1 recorded a four-under par 68, remarkably negotiating her second round without a bogey on the card despite wind speeds again getting up to around 55kph on the Old Course on Friday morning.
Showing the sort of form that brought her six wins in seven starts earlier in the season, Korda is eight under for the tournament, three clear of her compatriot, defending champion Lilia Vu and English star Charley Hull, the first-round leader.
"I'm just trying to not think about anything other than one shot at a time," said Korda, who's previously never finished higher than ninth in the British Open but is now beginning to love the challenge of links golf.
"Whatever links golf throws at me, I'm going to take it head on," beamed Korda, who's looking to add to her Chevron Championship win in the year's first major and the 2021 Women's PGA title.
The return to her supreme best came as the 26-year-old rediscovered her touch on the greens thanks to a new 'Spider' putter that she used for the first time in a pro-am on Wednesday.
"I've won so many times this year with the putter that I had, and I just wanted to kind of look at something different," explained Korda.
In a stellar morning group, Hull shot an even par 72 and Vu had a two-under 70 with the Briton admitting she had been out-putted by Korda.
"I think Nelly had 30 putts and I had 36 putts," shrugged Hull. "So that's six putts that I've lost to her on the greens.
"But only three shots behind -- that's nothing going into the weekend, especially on this golf course."
China's Yin Ruoning (72) is on four under, while New Zealand's Olympic champion Lydia Ko (70) looks a major threat in a six-strong group at three under, which also includes South Africa's 2022 champ Ashleigh Buhai.
Kyriacou's 68 was easily the standout display by any of the Australian contingent, dragging her back to level par for the tournament, in joint-21st position but still eight off the lead.
Kim scraped through to the weekend at four over after a 71 but Aussie major winners Hannah Green (74 for a seven-over total) and Minjee Lee (75 for a nine-over total) both failed to progress.
Catriona Matthew, the only Scot to win the British Open in 2009 and making her final appearance at the event, bowed out with a birdie, pausing on the Swilcan Bridge on her way to the 18th to soak in the applause.
"I felt slightly embarrassed, a little awkward," smiled Matthew, who'll be 55 on Sunday.
But Australian three-time winner Karrie Webb, alas, couldn't finish on a similar high note, shooting a 77 that left her at 15 over and in the penultimate 142nd spot in what's sure to be her last St Andrews Open.
