- Miyu Yamashita leads the Aramco Korea Championship after 36 holes.
- Louise Rydqvist and Sung Hyun Park share second place, two shots back.
- The cut fell at 1-over par, with 66 players advancing to the weekend at New Korea Country Club.
Miyu Yamashita has a habit of arriving at big tournaments and making herself at home. The Japanese star added a bogey-free 68 to her opening 67 at New Korea Country Club on Friday, moving to 9-under par and opening a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Aramco Korea Championship.
Yamashita, who won the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Porthcawl last summer and came from five back to beat Lottie Woad in a playoff at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June, picked up birdies at the 2nd, 6th, 16th and 17th.
“I like this course. Today was a no bogey round. My tee shots and second shots were good. My shots were very nice today compared to yesterday,” said Yamashita. “I really enjoy to play with big galleries and there are so many Korean fans, I really enjoy playing in front of lots of fans.”
“I’m still a little bit tired from the travel from Hawaii, but I’m okay. There’s good food here. I like Korean food,” she said.
This is the first edition of the Ladies European Tour event to be played over 72 holes of individual strokeplay, after organisers dropped last year’s team element for a straight four-day test with a $2 million purse on the PIF Global Series.
Who is chasing?
Sweden’s Louise Rydqvist is making a serious impression on her first visit to Korea. The LET rookie went bogey-free for a 67, with birdies at the 6th, 9th, 14th, 15th and 16th carrying her to 7-under.
“It was really solid from start to finish,” said Rydqvist. “I had a lovely group, who had a lot of fun out there, and I felt like my head was where my feet were at all times, which is the key for good scores.
“You definitely have to hit a lot of fairways to attack these greens. They’re so slick and fast, and some of them are really firm, so getting the ball in the fairway to start with and then getting the putter hot. That’s what you need,” she said. “It’s my first time in Korea, but it’s quite scoreable out there.”
Alongside her on 7-under is home favourite Sung Hyun Park, whose 69 was anything but straightforward. The two-time major champion made a double bogey at the 3rd, hit straight back with birdies at the 4th and 5th, added another at the 8th and then holed her eagle putt from off the green at the 17th.
“There were some mistakes out there, but I finished my round well, so I’m happy. It made me more concentrated after that double bogey,” said Park. “It’s been a while since I’ve been up the top of the leaderboard, but my main goal is to focus and communicate more with the caddie going into the weekend.”
Huang back in the hunt
Five players share fourth place on 6-under: Germany’s Alexandra Försterling, Canada’s Anna Huang, American Anna Morgan, Czechia’s Sara Kouskova and Chinese Taipei’s Yani Tseng.
Huang, the PIF London Championship winner fired a bogey-free 67 on day two after a year in which illness kept her away from the game.
“Covid hit me really hard this year, I was just in my bed for almost a month straight. I was really bummed out to miss La Sella and defend. I had to focus on my recovery and I think I’m 90% better,” said Huang.
“I think the greens here are probably the hardest part. There’s a lot of sneaky slopes you’ve got to be careful of, and you have got to place yourself in the right spots.”
Four-time LET winner Försterling posted a second successive 69, with four birdies and a lone bogey.
“It’s a fun course. It’s tricky obviously. The greens are very tricky. Off the tee is also not the easiest, but I like a challenge and I really enjoy it,” said the German. “I’m happy with my course management and hopefully, I can keep rolling in some more putts.”
Kim within range of a hat-trick
Six players sit a shot further back at 5-under in a tie for ninth place, and one of them will worry the leaders more than most. Hyo Joo Kim is the two-time defending champion at New Korea Country Club, having won here last year on 7-under, a total she is just two shots off with 36 holes still to play.
She is joined in T9 by Wales’ Lydia Hall, Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea, Czechia’s Patricie Mackova, Hong Kong’s Ginnie Ding and Australia’s Sarah Kemp.
The cut fell at 1-over-par, with 66 players making it through to the weekend.
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Aramco Korea Championship Leaderboard
| Pos. | Player | To Par | R1 | R2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miyu Yamashita (JPN) | -9 | 67 | 68 | 135 |
| 2 | Louise Rydqvist (SWE) | -7 | 70 | 67 | 137 |
| 2 | Sung Hyun Park (KOR) | -7 | 68 | 69 | 137 |
| 4 | Alexandra Forsterling (GER) | -6 | 69 | 69 | 138 |
| 4 | Anna Huang (CAN) | -6 | 71 | 67 | 138 |
| 4 | Anna Morgan (USA) | -6 | 70 | 68 | 138 |
| 4 | Sara Kouskova (CZE) | -6 | 69 | 69 | 138 |
| 4 | Yani Tseng (TPE) | -6 | 71 | 67 | 138 |
| 9 | Lydia Hall (WAL) | -5 | 69 | 70 | 139 |
| 9 | Daniela Darquea (ECU) | -5 | 73 | 66 | 139 |
| 9 | Hyo Joo Kim (KOR) | -5 | 68 | 71 | 139 |
| 9 | Patricie Mackova (CZE) | -5 | 65 | 74 | 139 |
| 9 | Ginnie Ding (HKG) | -5 | 68 | 71 | 139 |
| 9 | Sarah Kemp (AUS) | -5 | 67 | 72 | 139 |
| 15 | Celine Herbin-Marshall (FRA) | -4 | 70 | 70 | 140 |
| 15 | Nicole Broch Estrup (DEN) | -4 | 70 | 70 | 140 |
| 15 | Ana Belac (SLO) | -4 | 68 | 72 | 140 |
| 15 | Roberta Liti (ITA) | -4 | 70 | 70 | 140 |
| 15 | Cara Gainer (ENG) | -4 | 73 | 67 | 140 |
| 15 | Casandra Alexander (RSA) | -4 | 71 | 69 | 140 |
| 15 | Ruixin Liu (CHN) | -4 | 73 | 67 | 140 |
| 22 | Olivia Cowan (GER) | -3 | 67 | 74 | 141 |
| 22 | Shannon Tan (SIN) | -3 | 68 | 73 | 141 |
| 22 | Gyubeen Kim (KOR) (a) | -3 | 70 | 71 | 141 |
| 22 | Lily May Humphreys (ENG) | -3 | 67 | 74 | 141 |
| 22 | Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN) | -3 | 72 | 69 | 141 |
| 22 | Morgane Metraux (SUI) | -3 | 70 | 71 | 141 |
| 22 | Sara Byrne (IRL) | -3 | 72 | 69 | 141 |
| 22 | Alison Lee (USA) | -3 | 71 | 70 | 141 |
| 22 | Alessandra Fanali (ITA) | -3 | 72 | 69 | 141 |
| 31 | Maha Haddioui (MAR) | -2 | 73 | 69 | 142 |
| 31 | Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) | -2 | 72 | 70 | 142 |
| 31 | Dong Eun Lee (KOR) | -2 | 71 | 71 | 142 |
| 31 | Eleanor Givens (ENG) | -2 | 73 | 69 | 142 |
| 31 | Suzann Pettersen (NOR) | -2 | 72 | 70 | 142 |
| 31 | Leonie Harm (GER) | -2 | 72 | 70 | 142 |
| 31 | Stephanie Bunque (AUS) | -2 | 74 | 68 | 142 |
| 31 | Brianna Navarrosa (USA) | -2 | 72 | 70 | 142 |
| 31 | Charlotte Heath (ENG) | -2 | 73 | 69 | 142 |
| 31 | Anna Foster (IRL) | -2 | 72 | 70 | 142 |
| 41 | Liz Young (ENG) | -1 | 70 | 73 | 143 |
| 41 | Jana Melichova (CZE) | -1 | 74 | 69 | 143 |
| 41 | Minjee Ku (KOR) (a) | -1 | 69 | 74 | 143 |
| 41 | Jeongeun Lee 5 (KOR) | -1 | 71 | 72 | 143 |
| 41 | Kelsey Bennett (AUS) | -1 | 70 | 73 | 143 |
| 41 | Jeongeun Lee6 (KOR) | -1 | 75 | 68 | 143 |
| 41 | Harang Lee (ESP) | -1 | 70 | 73 | 143 |
| 48 | Annika Borrelli (USA) | Par | 74 | 70 | 144 |
| 48 | Ana Pelaez Trivino (ESP) | Par | 73 | 71 | 144 |
| 48 | Pia Babnik (SLO) | Par | 70 | 74 | 144 |
| 48 | Aunchisa Utama (THA) | Par | 72 | 72 | 144 |
| 48 | Hannah Screen (ENG) | Par | 74 | 70 | 144 |
| 48 | Momoka Kobori (NZL) | Par | 72 | 72 | 144 |
| 48 | Darcey Harry (WAL) | Par | 74 | 70 | 144 |
| 48 | Kajsa Arwefjall (SWE) | Par | 69 | 75 | 144 |
| 48 | Moa Folke (SWE) | Par | 74 | 70 | 144 |
| 48 | Carlota Ciganda (ESP) | Par | 73 | 71 | 144 |
| 48 | Vanessa Bouvet (FRA) | Par | 70 | 74 | 144 |
| 48 | Anna Zanusso (ITA) | Par | 71 | 73 | 144 |
| 48 | Alessia Nobilio (ITA) | Par | 71 | 73 | 144 |
| 61 | Whitney Hillier (AUS) | +1 | 71 | 74 | 145 |
| 61 | Lois Lau (FRA) | +1 | 71 | 74 | 145 |
| 61 | Anne Van Dam (NED) | +1 | 75 | 70 | 145 |
| 61 | Lianna Bailey (ENG) | +1 | 75 | 70 | 145 |
| 61 | Gyuri Yoon (KOR) (a) | +1 | 73 | 72 | 145 |
| 61 | Celina Sattelkau (GER) | +1 | 75 | 70 | 145 |
| 67 | Andrea Lignell (SWE) | +2 | 74 | 72 | 146 |
| 67 | Ayako Uehara (JPN) | +2 | 72 | 74 | 146 |
| 67 | Katharina Muehlbauer (AUT) | +2 | 73 | 73 | 146 |
| 67 | Smilla Tarning Soenderby (DEN) | +2 | 73 | 73 | 146 |
| 67 | Danielle Kang (USA) | +2 | 73 | 73 | 146 |
| 67 | Trichat Cheenglab (THA) | +2 | 73 | 73 | 146 |
| 67 | Tereza Kazar Melecka (CZE) | +2 | 73 | 73 | 146 |
| 67 | Lauren Walsh (IRL) | +2 | 70 | 76 | 146 |
| 75 | Sofie Kibsgaard (DEN) | +3 | 77 | 70 | 147 |
| 75 | Romy Meekers (NED) | +3 | 72 | 75 | 147 |
| 75 | Ariane Klotz (FRA) | +3 | 75 | 72 | 147 |
| 75 | Fernanda Lira (MEX) | +3 | 72 | 75 | 147 |
| 75 | Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG) | +3 | 75 | 72 | 147 |
| 75 | Caitlyn Macnab (RSA) | +3 | 74 | 73 | 147 |
| 75 | Noora Komulainen (FIN) | +3 | 77 | 70 | 147 |
| 82 | Annabell Fuller (ENG) | +4 | 71 | 77 | 148 |
| 82 | Gemma Clews (ENG) | +4 | 76 | 72 | 148 |
| 82 | Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP) | +4 | 76 | 72 | 148 |
| 82 | Georgia Iziemgbe Oboh (NGR) | +4 | 76 | 72 | 148 |
| 86 | Emma Falcher (FRA) | +5 | 74 | 75 | 149 |
| 86 | Esme Hamilton (ENG) | +5 | 77 | 72 | 149 |
| 86 | Emma Spitz (AUT) | +5 | 71 | 78 | 149 |
| 86 | Meghan MacLaren (ENG) | +5 | 74 | 75 | 149 |
| 86 | Amy Taylor (ENG) | +5 | 74 | 75 | 149 |
| 86 | Amaia Latorre (ESP) | +5 | 73 | 76 | 149 |
| 86 | Justice Bosio (AUS) | +5 | 76 | 73 | 149 |
| 86 | Camille Chevalier (FRA) | +5 | 76 | 73 | 149 |
| 94 | Chloe Williams (WAL) | +6 | 76 | 74 | 150 |
| 94 | Blanca Fernandez (ESP) | +6 | 74 | 76 | 150 |
| 94 | Dorota Zalewska (POL) | +6 | 75 | 75 | 150 |
| 97 | Ana Dawson (IMN) | +7 | 76 | 75 | 151 |
| 97 | Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER) | +7 | 77 | 74 | 151 |
| 99 | Corinne Viden (SWE) | +8 | 77 | 75 | 152 |
| 99 | Hitaashee Bakshi (IND) | +8 | 80 | 72 | 152 |
| 99 | Aine Donegan (IRL) | +8 | 80 | 72 | 152 |
| 102 | Vanessa Knecht (SUI) | +9 | 77 | 76 | 153 |
| 102 | Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) | +9 | 78 | 75 | 153 |
| 102 | Alice Hewson (ENG) | +9 | 76 | 77 | 153 |
| 102 | Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP) | +9 | 75 | 78 | 153 |
| 106 | Cecilie Finne-Ipsen (DEN) | +10 | 74 | 80 | 154 |
| 107 | April Angurasaranee (THA) | +11 | 79 | 76 | 155 |
| 108 | Hannah Darling (SCO) | +21 | 82 | 83 | 165 |
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.