Cristie Kerr has always been a tough nut who loves a scrap and showed it again by edging ahead in the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at the halfway stage at windy Dundonald.
Gusts of up to 30mph swept across the exposed Ayrshire links and it took sheer willpower – or just power in one case – to make any forward ground.
The 39-year-old US Solheim Cup team regular dropped back a shot from her Thursday position with a 73 but that was enough to leapfrog Karrie Webb at the head of the field, whose two bogeys on her final two holes – the 8th and 9th – in the high winds of the morning wave meant she surrendered top spot.
For most of the rest, it was a day of mere survival in the winds. Only six rounds were recorded under-par all day, two coming from the same group, as Carly Booth shot 70 and France’s big-hitting Joanna Klatten – averaging over 280 yards off the tee this season – bludgeoned her way through the breezes to a four-under 68.
Kerr was most pleased to tough out a score despite not feeling as assured as she had done during Thursday’s 67.
“I hit it so well then, and that shows you the difference. I didn’t hit it that great today but I still managed,” she said. “We managed the golf course well, and we made the recovery shots when we needed to.”
As happened on the first day with Webb, the wind slightly abated for the later starters and Kerr took advantage.
“Not much, but enough,” added the American. “We got really lucky with these two storms that passed.
“You never know with the weather here. You know, just try to hit it pretty well and make some putts and get up-and-down sometimes.”
As for playing with Webb today, it wonl;t be the first time.
“We’ve done it for 20 years,” she said. “I have no idea how many times in the last group. But way to go for the old girls, right?”
Webb was hit with the strongest wind of the two days in the morning, but was philosophical about her 75.
“Lunch isn’t going to taste as good as it would have if I had parred the last two,” she said. “But if you had given me 4-under before I teed off yesterday, obviously I would have taken it.”
Anyone in the field would have. Tumbling down the leaderboard were the likes of Inbee Park (78), world No 1 So Yeon Ryu (77), Stacey Lewis (79) and Annabel Dimmock (79) who had all been well in touch after the first round.
Lydia Ko would certainly have taken four-under or eight shots worse, but a 79 left the former World No 1 looking for alternative entertainment for the weekend.
“I think this is the windiest conditions I’ve played in,” she said. “When I’ve played the British Open, or even here a couple years ago, there was rain and that kind of softens up everything and makes it easier.
“Today was probably one of the most difficult rounds I’ve played in my career, just physically, mentally. You’ve just got to put a confident swing on it, whatever the wind is doing, and you just have to be stable.
“I’m not sure when I’ll go up to Kingsbarns. I still think this is a great golf course and no matter what happens, it’s a great lead-up to next week.”
Catriona Matthew didn’t have a single birdie but battled her way to a second 74 to make the cut comfortably, while Sally Watson shot an excellent 70 on the back of four birdies on the back nine to make the weekend on the mark.
There was heartbreak for Michele Thomson, who seemed well set to be around for the weekend and even challenge on of the three places in the British Open field for high LET finishers, but her spiralled away with five bogeys in a row to finish and miss the mark by a shot.
