Thailand's Wichanee Meechai surged to a two-shot lead at the US Women's Open on Friday, overcoming early nerves with a birdie spree, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda missed the cut. Wichanee, aiming for her first top-10 finish at a major, shot a three-under-par 67, including six birdies and three bogeys, at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. This performance left the 31-year-old from Bangkok at four under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of Andrea Lee of the United States, who posted a second consecutive 69.
Wichanee's impressive second round started with four consecutive birdies after teeing off on the back nine. Despite bogeys on the 15th, 18th, and third holes, she recovered with birdies on the fourth and her penultimate hole, the par-three eighth.
Reflecting on her round, Wichanee admitted to being extremely nervous before teeing off, with her hands shaking and mind racing. However, her early birdie blitz surprised even her, as she simply chose shorter clubs and hit them hard, resulting in her excellent score.
In contrast, Nelly Korda faced disappointment, missing the cut after an initial round of 80. Although she improved with a level-par 70 in her second round, it was insufficient to stay in the tournament, as the cut was set at eight over.
Korda, who suffered a disastrous 10 on the par-three 12th hole on Thursday, managed to save par on the same hole in her second round but ultimately could not recover from her rough start. Reflecting on her performance, Korda acknowledged the tough challenge and her effort to give her all despite the setbacks.
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