In-Kyung Kim leads as Georgia Hall impresses at Women's British Open

By Ali Stafford

Saturday 5 August 2017 19:47, UK

In-Kyung Kim posted a four-under 68 to take a two-shot lead into the weekend at the Ricoh Women's British Open.

The Korean recovered from an opening-hole bogey at Kingsbarns to pull clear of morning pacesetters Lexi Thompson and Georgia Hall, who both sit on nine under at the halfway stage.

Ally McDonald sits in fourth spot after a second 68 in as many days, with England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff in the group a further stroke back.

Home favourites Charley Hull and Melissa Reid lie six shots off the pace, while defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn missed the cut following a five-over 77.

Kim bounced back from her early blemish to pick up a shot at the par-five second, before following a three-putt par at the eighth with a six-foot gain at the ninth.

The 29-year-old jumped into top spot by draining a 25-foot eagle at the 10th and doubled her advantage with a penultimate-hole gain.

Beginning four off the pace, Hall surged up the leaderboard with four consecutive birdies from the second and cancelled out a blemish at the ninth with a gain at the par-five next.

Back-to-back birdies from 14th briefly lifted Hall in to the outright lead, only for the 21-year-old to find a pot bunker off the tee and bogey the next.

Thompson got off to a slow start with successive blemishes from the third, but responded with five straight gains from the 10th and completed a back-nine 30 with a penultimate-hole birdie.

Shanshan Feng moved inside the top-10 with a joint-low round-of-the-day 67, with Solheim Cup hopeful Anna Nordqvist also on six under.

Anne Van Dam threatened the top of the leaderboard late in the day when four consecutive birdies moved her within two of the lead, only for her to bogey the 12th and 15th and double-bogey the 16th.