HIGH OF THE DAY

First round co-leader Yani Tseng from Chinese Taipei returned a second straight round of 68 to gain a four stroke lead on eight under par after 36 holes at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

Off in the seventh group of the day at 7.36am, the World No.5 took full advantage of the benign, dry weather conditions early in the day to card five birdies and just one bogey at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England.

Tseng said: “I played another solid round for me. I make lots of putts today. And it was really lucky. It is raining right now, and this morning there was like no wind, very calm. And the course is totally different than what we played yesterday. So it was just really nice.”

Tseng, who finished second to Jiyai Shin at the 2008 Ricoh Women’s British Open at Sunningdale, has two Major championship victories on her resume, the 2010 Kraft Nabisco and the 2008 LPGA Championship, so with a victory at the Ricoh Women’s British Open, she would be three quarters of the way to a career Grand Slam at the age of 21.

A fantastic ball striker, she revealed that she has been working on her mental approach with the former World No.1 Annika Sorenstam. “I’m always looking at the result. And practice is more important for me. And she know I'm really aggressive player, so she really want me to play really smart, not just see the pin and always go there. So she told me I need to trust myself. If I stay patient, I will be on top one day,” Tseng said.

Tseng has three victories on the LPGA and also won the Handa Women’s Australian Open, which was a co-sanctioned tournament between the Ladies European Tour and the ALPG, earlier this season.

ROUND OF THE DAY

In the second round, World No.3 Cristie Kerr, who held the No.1 spot on the Rolex Rankings for three weeks from 28th June, recorded a five under par 67, which was the best round of the championship so far. The14-time tournament champion moved into a share of second place on four under par after 36 holes along with fellow American Brittany Lincicome and Amy Yang of South Korea. Kerr, who recently won her second Major at the LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans, started her second round at 7.14am and took advantage of the morning’s dry weather conditions.

WEATHER

Around lunch time on Friday the heavens opened and the rain continued to pour all afternoon, with some extremely heavy showers. The afternoon players got the worst of the weather but Juli Inkster had a round of 70 to finish on a three under par total. She explained: “It was tough out there. Luckily the wind wasn't blowing as much as it was yesterday, but it was rainy and tedious out there. I was very happy with the way I played today.”

RALLY OF THE DAY

Melissa Reid made an impressive finish with three birdies in a row for a four over par total and made it through into the weekend. The 22-year-old Turkish Ladies Open champion dug deep after recording a double bogey at the par-five sixth hole and a bogey at the par-four 13th.

Royal Birkdale member Florentyna Parker also birdied the last hole to make it through to the weekend on four over. The 21-year-old ABN AMRO Ladies Open champion finished tied with her playing partner, the US Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer and outplayed her other playing partner, the 2009 champion Catriona Matthew.

LOW OF THE DAY

Catriona Matthew’s hopes of a successful title defence ended when she took a 10 on the unlucky 13th hole. The 40-year-old Scot was 10 over par through 14 holes after she hit her tee shot left off the tee into a bramble bush and had to chip out, then hit her third shot right, took two attempts to get out of the rough and then a penalty drop. She chipped onto the green and then two-putted. Matthew said, “One moment,” as she walked away from recording. She birdied the next hole but returned a round of 81 and finished on a 36 hole total of 156, 12 over par.

CHANCE MEETING OF THE DAY

Leader of the Ladies European Tour’s Henderson Money List, Laura Davies, met her hero, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, beside the practise putting green ahead of her second round. When asked who her hero was in a recent Ladies European Tour interview Laura replied: ‘Steven Gerrard,’ and when asked her favourite names, she said: ‘Steven and Gerrard’. Afterwards she said she was too shaky to play golf but she still managed a second round of 74, finishing on two over at halfway.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Yani Tseng: “I feel really confident, and actually I never had a lead in a major, so this week I have to stay on top all week and stay very patient this week. And I feel super. I feel confident. Just keep loving the Links course.”

Christina Kim: “I love playing the Open championship. There's something very special about this place. And you know, the tournament's always been run beautifully. So it's kind of nice to know that I'm going to be around for the weekend.”

Suzann Pettersen: “Yani's a great golfer. She's a good ball striker and when she gets streaky with the putter, she goes low.”