Phatlum tickled pink to lead at Women’s British Open

Thai alone in first after two days of bogey-free golf

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, ENGLAND — Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand is standing out at the Women’s British Open for more than just her pink golf ball.

The 97th-ranked player has yet to record a bogey in successive rounds of 5-under 67 that will give her a one-stroke lead heading into the weekend at the year’s fourth major.

While first-round leader Minjee Lee and Mamiko Higa encountered problems down the stretch at a rainy Royal Lytham to give up two-shot leads on Friday, Phatlum played a steady hand and put her pink ball in all the right places — namely out of the many bunkers that define the course.

The 28-year-old Thai missed a 10-foot putt for birdie in front of the clubhouse on the 18th green but that didn’t get her down. She was 10 under par overall.

“I’ve had a game plan,” Phatlum said. “I try to plan every shot, every hole.”

It’s given her a great chance of winning a first major title, and claiming a first victory on the LPGA Tour. Her last win was on the Asian Tour in January 2015 and she has only one top-10 finish all year.

Phatlum’s only top-10 at a major was a tie for seventh at the

U.S. Women’s Open in 2014.

She has already put some distance between many of the big names in women’s golf.

Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn was seven shots back after rounds of 71 and 70, No. 6 Shanshan Feng (71-71) was one stroke further back, and No. 2 Inbee Park (76-74) missed the cut.

Only six players were inside five shots of Phatlum. They have pedigree, though.

In a three-way share of second place on 9 under is Lee, who she double-bogeyed No. 16 and dropped another shot at No. 17 to post a 70.

Lee, the Australian at a careerhigh ranking of No. 8, was runner-up on the Gullane links in the Ladies Scottish Open last week.

Home favourite Georgia Hall (68) was in the tie for second place along with Higa, who was leading by two strokes on 11 under when she lost her ball in a gorse bush at No. 17 and wound up with a double-bogey 6.

Third-ranked Park Sung-hyun, who won the Women’s PGA Championship last month, is lurking in sixth place on 7 under after rounds of 67 and 70. Seventh-ranked Ryu So-yeon, a twotime major champion, is on 6 under after two rounds of 69.

Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., aced the par-3 ninth hole on her way to a 70, which put her in a six-way tie for eighth place at 5 under.

RICHARD HEATHCOTE GETTY IMAGES Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand is ranked No. 97 in the world, but back-to-back bogey-free rounds have put her at 10 under and in sole possession of first place at the midpoint of the Women’s British Open.