Lottie Woad is making waves at the LPGA Tour's Kroger Queen City Championship, charging to within one shot of the halfway lead after a stellar second round. The English golfer, still early in her professional journey, fired a six-under 66 at Maketewah Country Club on Friday, showcasing the kind of form that's turning heads in the golf world. Meanwhile, defending champion Charley Hull endured a dramatic collapse, stumbling with a bogey burst that saw her drop eight shots off the pace.
Woad's round was a masterclass in consistency and aggression. She started hot, carding four birdies in her first six holes, and added back-to-back gains around the turn to reach six under. A lone bogey at her 13th hole was quickly erased with a birdie on her penultimate hole, leaving her tied with Hull briefly before the champion's late slide. "There was less wind, so it was a lot more scorable," Woad said after her round. "Definitely hit it better off the tee. I hit more fairways and just hit really good approaches." For a rising talent in a sport that rewards precision, those words signal a player finding her groove.
Hull's day started with promise—an eagle at the par-five seventh followed by birdies at the eighth and 10th—but the wheels came off in dramatic fashion. She bogeyed six of her last eight holes, including a three-bogey stretch from the 13th and back-to-back blemishes at the 17th and 18th. The two-over 72 was a stark contrast to her opening round, leaving the defending champion eight shots behind the leader and searching for answers.
At the top of the leaderboard, former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko and American Amanda Doherty share the lead at seven under after consistent rounds of 67 and 66. Lydia Ko sits two back at five under, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda and world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul are within three after matching second-round 67s. Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist also made a move, posting a two-under 68 to reach two under, while England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff stole the spotlight with a hole-in-one at the par-three 12th—the seventh ace of her career—ensuring she'll play the weekend.
On the Ladies European Tour, Esther Henseleit takes a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Amundi German Masters. The German mixed five birdies with three bogeys for a two-under 71, moving to nine under and one clear of Sara Kouskova at Green Eagle Golf Courses. As the LPGA action heats up in Ohio, all eyes are on Woad to see if she can sustain her charge and make a name for herself among the game's elite.