IRVINE, Scotland – American golfer Megan Khang birdied her final hole Friday to shoot 4-under-par 68 to share the lead with Australian Minjee Lee in the Women’s Scottish Open.
Both players finished 8 under par overall and are aiming for their first win in 2024.
They were two strokes ahead of three players – Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko (69), Charley Hull of England (68) and Lauren Coughlin of the United States (69).
Khang made six birdies, including a chip-in, the last of which came in the final minutes of play at Dundonald Links, when Lee was already in the clubhouse after shooting 69 to overtake her first-round lead 67.
“I’m really trying to have a lot of fun out there,” said Khang, ranked 22nd. “It’s not often that I hit a 7-iron to a 116-yard pin. I’m really happy with my ball striking.”
Lee, a two-time major winner, made birdies on holes 17 and 18 after improving her other shots on holes 2 and 3 in a round played in strong winds.
“We probably haven’t had as much wind at the Scottish Open in recent years,” Lee said, “but I feel like we’re playing on a real links course and in those conditions, so it’s a lot more fun.”
Lee’s last win was in October at the BMW Ladies Championship. Khang’s victory came two months before that, meaning she is almost a year without a title.
“I’ve been hitting the ball pretty well all year, and the difference has been that I’ve made the putts,” Khang said. “This week I was a little lucky that I made the putts. That’s golf.”
The top five managed to pull away from the rest of the field. China’s Mary Liu and Esther Henseleit – the silver medalist from the Paris Games – share sixth place at 3 under par, five strokes behind the leader.
The Scottish Open is the last stop before the Women’s British Open next week in St. Andrews.
