(Reuters) -Nelly Korda moved three shots clear of an illustrious field after Friday's second round of the women's British Open on the Old Course at St Andrews where the world number one carded a blemish-free 68 in wet and gusty conditions.
Korda was among the early starters and she stormed into the clubhouse lead and stayed there with another round of 68, but this time she did not make any bogeys.
With a new 'Spider' putter in her bag, the American sank four birdies -- including two long putts on the 17th and 18th -- to go into the weekend at eight-under overall after dealing with wind and rain on the links course.
"Yesterday it was brutally windy throughout the range session until about probably 16," Korda said.
"Then today, it was raining a good bit during my range session and then it was up until probably my second or third hole. It was pretty calm the front nine and then once we got to 18 and number one, that's when it started pumping.
"I didn't take advantage of the calmer conditions on my front nine, the back nine. But I played some really solid golf, and I'm happy with that."
Overnight leader Charley Hull carded a superb five-under-par 67 in windy conditions on Thursday but she struggled with her putting and made three bogeys before recovering with three birdies to save par.
She is tied for second with defending champion and world number two Lilia Vu, who carded 70, but the Briton is confident of reeling Korda in on the weekend.
"I actually thought I hit it just as good as yesterday, I just missed three or four four-foot putts, but that was early on in my round," said Hull.
"I didn't feel like I putted quite as good, but I felt like I struggled with the pace today. I'm only three shots behind (Korda). That's nothing going into the weekend, especially on this golf course."
China's Yin Ruoning moved up to fourth with a closing birdie on the 18th to sit four strokes behind Korda.
Olympic champion Lydia Ko is tied for fifth at three-under along with South Africa's Casandra Alexander -- who shot up the leaderboard with a round of 68 -- and Swedish amateur Louise Rydqvist who recorded 67, the joint-low score of the week.
Catriona Matthew, the only Scot to win the British Open in 2009 and playing in her final appearance at the event, bowed out with a birdie, pausing on the Swilcan Bridge on her way to the 18th to soak in the applause.
"I don't know if it has really sunk in. I felt slightly embarrassed, a little awkward (on the bridge)," said Matthew, who turns 55 on Sunday.
"It's something you never really think of, playing for the last time. But it just felt right for me, being at St Andrews, being in Scotland."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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