Shih Leads at Halfway Stage at Sunrise

• Cheng-Hsuan Shih leads the Wistron Ladies Open after two rounds of 66.
• P.K. Kongkraphan equalled the Sunrise course record to sit alone in second place.
• England’s Hannah Screen is solo third, and the cut fell at one-under with 63 players through.

Cheng-Hsuan Shih won the first Wistron Ladies Open in 2020, the year she turned professional. Six years on, she leads the tournament at the halfway stage after adding a second 66 at Sunrise Golf and Country Club to reach 12-under.

The Chinese Taipei player began the day alone in second, two behind first-round leader Casandra Alexander. She birdied the 1st and 2nd, picked up two more at the 8th and 9th, and added further birdies at the 12th, 13th and 17th. A single bogey ended her run of bogey-free golf for the week.

“I had a wonderful round, but some of my approach shots and iron play I had little mistakes. Coming to Sunrise, I am more familiar with this course and I think I play better here,” said Shih.

“There’s always ups and downs,” she said. “I turned pro in 2020 and then won the tournament. I learned a lot during these years and I also have been affected by other factors. This year, I have been trying to play simple and get back to my original self.”

Kongkraphan matches the course record

P.K. Kongkraphan made the biggest move of the day. The Thai, who has won 14 times on the TLPGA since 2022, made 10 birdies and one bogey in a nine-under 63 that equalled the course record and lifted her to 11-under, one shot behind Shih.

“This morning I just wanted to enjoy and do my best on every shot, and don’t be too stressed,” said Kongkraphan, who admitted she had been struggling on the course the previous day.

She has spent 2026 on the KLPGA and explained why she returned to familiar ground this week.

“All the players are very competitive, and the courses are very long and narrow. It’s so stressful, so I come back to play here because it feels like my home and I feel more comfortable playing here and at Sunrise. I’m so happy,” she said.

Screen in the hunt on debut at Sunrise

Hannah Screen backed up her opening 67 with another to sit alone in third place on 10-under. Starting on the 10th, the Englishwoman birdied the 11th, 13th, 17th and 18th to turn in 4-under. She then went bogey-birdie-bogey on the first three holes of her second nine before further birdies at the 6th and 9th.

“I love that you can bounce back. I went through a little wobble in the middle and turned the corner with a different wind. I managed to claw some birdies back and it was good,” said Screen.

She has been working with her coach on her wedge play inside 120 yards, which she said “has not been good enough” this year.

“Not being so rigid in my approach to each shot. Being a bit more free-flowing and also very accurate. That’s been working,” she said.

Screen has never played Sunrise before and expects a change in conditions.

“The wind was crazy in the practice days, so we’ve had some calm days. I think tomorrow is going to be quite windy.”

Alexander slips back into a share of fourth

Alexander, the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader, followed her opening 64 with a 1-under 71 and shares fourth place on 9-under with home player Juliana Hung. Hung birdied the 3d and 6th before five birdies in a row from the 10th to the 14th, dropping her only shot at the last.

“This year, my approach shots weren’t good. Normally, I am really dialled in with my irons and my wedges,” said Hung, who had a tough season on the Epson Tour. “During the off-season and leading up to the second stage of Q-Series, I was practicing really hard with my irons and my wedges. I’m glad it’s paid off.”

Chiara Tamburlini, the 2024 champion, is solo sixth on 8eight-under after a 66. A week after leading at halfway in Delhi, the Swiss had seven birdies, three of them tap-ins, and saved bogey at the 7th after finding water. She had made double bogey from the same spot on Thursday.

“I don’t know why I keep chunking it from that lie, it’s not a difficult shot,” she said.

Thailand’s Nook Sukapan, Chinese Taipei’s Ching Huang, Australia’s Kelsey Bennett, England’s Mimi Rhodes and American Anna Morgan share seventh on 7-under.

The cut fell at one-under, with 63 players making it through to the weekend.

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