| -11 C Hull (Eng); -9 A Thitikul (Tha), X Lin (Chn); -8 L Duncan (US); -7 J Korda (US), E Pedersen (Den), M Jutanugarn (Tha); -6 L Ko (NZ) |
| Selected others: -3 G Hall (Eng); -1 J Ewart Shadoff (Eng); E B Henderson (Can), S Meadow (NI); +3 G Dryburgh (Sco) |
| Full leaderboard |
Charley Hull made eight birdies to take a two-shot lead into the third round of The Ascendant LPGA in Texas.
After an opening-round 67, England’s Hull posted a seven-under 64 to move ahead of Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and China’s Lin Xiyu, who are tied for second on nine under par.
Hull picked up five shots on her back nine, a bogey on the 15th hole doing little to derail her.
“I just feel like the putter was very strong today,” said the 26-year-old.
“When I was home I was working quite hard on my putting because I felt like that’s the ‘boringest’ part of the game to practise. I don’t practise it as much as I should, so I’ve been doing like two hours each day and just trying to fix it.”
After two rounds at Old American Golf Club, the top seven players are separated by just four shots with American Jessica Korda among three players on seven under.
Hull’s compatriot Georgia Hall is tied for 18th on three under, while fellow Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff is a further two strokes back and Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow is on level par.
Thitikul can go to world number one if she wins in Texas, with what would be her second victory in as many weeks on the LPGA Tour after her success in Arkansas.
