A change of putter shortly before the AIG Women’s Open seems to have made the difference for Nelly Korda, as she shot a second 68 and took the lead in the second round at St. Andrews.
On Friday, a strong wind again blew across the Old Course, but Korda did not let that deter her from her claim to the title and reached an eight-under-par lead at halftime with a second consecutive round of four under par.
She overtook her playing partner Charley Hull and took a three-stroke lead after the first wave of starters had completed their second round.
Hull led after the first round thanks to a stunning five-under-par 67, but Korda was able to turn a one-stroke deficit into a three-stroke lead with a four-stroke lead.
Incredibly, given the conditions, Korda completed her second round without a bogey, making four birdies, and dropped just one stroke in 36 holes in truly difficult conditions at the home of golf.
She owes her success in part to a putter change on the eve of the AIG Women’s Open, when TaylorMade flew her to St. Andrews, Scotland, for her practice round in a custom-built Spider Tour X.
After she had gotten her new flatstick into really good shape, it went straight into the bag for Thursday and the result was just a bogey and the lead in the last women’s major of the year.
“It’s been behaving really well, I literally used it on Wednesday in my pro-am and it just felt really good,” Korda told Sky Sports about her new putter.
“I think I just needed a change, something new. It felt really good to take it off my face and it worked, so I’m very pleased.”
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It is a welcome return to form for Korda after a monumental run of form at the start of the year in which he won five tournaments in a row and six out of seven.
This incredible form never stopped and she has since missed three cuts in a row, finishing 22nd at the Olympics.
In contrast, Hull struggled with her putting, missing three short shots and making three bogeys before making three birdies on her final five holes to even her score.
With a par of 72, Hull is five under par and just three strokes behind Korda, who is looking to win her first major this weekend.
