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Yani Tseng moves to a four-shot lead
Taiwan's Yani Tseng took an early four-stroke lead in the second round of the Women's British Open on Friday after shooting a second consecutive 4-under 68 at Royal Birkdale.
Tseng had five birdies and a bogey to finish at 8-under 136 going into the weekend.
"There was no wind this morning and it was very calm, so it was nice out there," the two-time major winner said. "The course played totally different than what we played the last three days, so it was really nice.
"I feel very confident and if I stay patient over the weekend and just keep playing the way I'm playing I have a good chance."
Cristie Kerr shot a 5-under 67 to move to 4-under overall. She was tied with fellow American Brittany Lincicome and South Korea's Amy Yang.
Sweden's Suzann Pettersen shot a 68 to move to 3-under, despite failing to take advantage of birdie chances on the three closing par fives. Also at 3-under was South Korea's Sun Young Yoo, who added a second round 72 to her opening 69.
Tseng made her first birdie at the second, hitting her 8-iron approach to 15 feet and holing the putt. She dropped a stroke at the third but birdied the long 6th, reaching the green with a 3-wood.
Tseng picked up three more birdies on the back nine. She hit a 6-iron to eight feet at the 14th, reached the green in two with a pitching wedge at the 16th and also made it to the green in two at the 17th where she two-putted.
Kerr sank 10-foot birdie putts on the first two holes, dropped a stroke at the 8th and picked up four more birdies on the back nine.
"I played really well today," Kerr said. "I was determined to be more relaxed out there. I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself since getting the No 1 ranking and I hadn't really realised that's what was going on. So I just went out and did my thing today."
Lincicome got to 4-under with a birdie at the 2nd, then dropped four strokes in three holes from the 11th, including a double-bogey at 12.
Lincicome regained the four shots over the last four holes with a birdie at 15, an eagle 3 at 17 and a birdie at 18 to finish with a round of 71.
Pettersen had an eagle at the long sixth and a birdie at the seventh as she reached the turn in 33. She birdied nine and 11 but then settled for pars the rest of the way.
"I felt I took advantage of this side of the draw this morning
so I've put myself back in it for the weekend," Pettersen said.
