Jutanugarn avoids worst of the wind to take halfway lead at Scottish Open
Dumbarnie Links, which is hosting this week’s Women’s Scottish Open, might be a new links course, but in the second round it presented a very traditional seaside challenge.
The morning was blustery enough, but the afternoon starters were battered by a 40mph wind that prompted bogeys, double-bogeys and, quite possibly, tinnitus amid an almost permanent whistling racket.
Two-time major winner Ariya Jutanugarn got lucky with an early tee-time and she made the most of it. The Thai is dismissive of her links skills, and yet she completed a bestof-the-day 66 that left her three clear of the field on nine under at halfway.
“I hope it’s not this windy tomorrow,” she sighed after signing her card. “It was pretty tough today.”
It was significantly more brutal for her compatriot, Atthaya Thitikul, the 18-year-old who leads the Ladies European Tour rankings.
Three over through her first five holes after teeing off in the worst of the weather, she responded with four consecutive birdies on the back nine and finished three back of Jutanugarn in a share of second place, with England’s Charley Hull and Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen on six under.
“I’m not a fan of links, but I love this golf course,” Hull said after her first round, and she proved as much by cheerily completing a 69 that featured only one bogey.
Pedersen’s post-round mood was less convivial. “My putting has been an absolute disgrace,” she said. “I’ve made nine bogeys and six of them because of three-putts. When I’m striking the ball like I am, that’s just not good enough.”
First-round leader Michele Thomson was among those who struggled in the gales. She scraped into the weekend after adding an 80 to her opening 65.