Nelly Korda gave herself a weekend chance at the Women’s Open with a sharp response in the second round, carding a three-under-par 68 to move to one under par overall. After a difficult opening round, that was the kind of rebound that changes the mood of a major championship almost immediately.
She is still five shots behind leader Haeran Ryu, but the gap is manageable with two rounds left. That is the main takeaway from Friday at Royal Lytham & Annes Golf Course: Korda did not just steady the round, she re-entered the conversation on the AIG Women's Open leaderboard.
Korda's Friday response
The first round left Korda with work to do, but the second round showed the sort of control that has made her the world number one. A three-under-par 68 is more than a recovery score in a major; it is a clear sign that she found something after struggling on day one.
At one under par, she is not chasing from a position of comfort, but she is far from out of it. In a tournament where momentum can change quickly, cutting the deficit to five shots matters. It keeps the pressure on the leader and keeps Korda within reach heading into the weekend.
Haeran Ryu still holds the edge
Ryu’s five-shot advantage after Friday is still a strong one, and that is the reality Korda must chase. The leaderboard now asks a simple question: can Korda turn a strong second round into a sustained challenge over the final 36 holes?
For now, the answer is that she has done the important first step. She has gone from first-round struggle to a position where the weekend still offers a path. At the Women’s Open, that is often all a top player needs to stay dangerous.
