Canada’s Anna Huang retained her position at the top of the leaderboard at the half-way stage of the PIF London Championship, holding a one-stroke lead over Charley Hull, who fired a course-record round of 62 at Centurion Club on Friday.
First round leader Huang produced a 5-under-par 68 to reach 11-under-par at the tournament’s midpoint. The 17-year-old’s scorecard was highlighted by eagles on the par-5 9th and 18th holes, alongside four birdies.
“It was another good round, but it was a little bit more up-and-down than yesterday. I had a couple of bad mistakes here and there, but it’s still something to be proud of,” said Huang. “Lots of eagles today and lots of good birdies. My putts were rolling really nicely today, and I hit a couple of good iron shots to leave myself with birdie putts.
“Last two weeks I missed two cuts, so that was a bit painful. This week I have tried to be more confident in my game, trust myself, and maybe that was the biggest change for me. I felt a lot more at home and more comfortable with my game.”
CHARLEY’S BIRDIE CHARGE
Sitting just one shot back in solo second place at 10-under-par is local favourite Charley Hull. The five-time LET winner shot a bogey-free 11-under 62, eclipsing the previous course record set by Georgia Hall in 2021.
Hull’s performance ties the lowest single-round score in Ladies European Tour history, joining Haeran Ryu, Jessica Korda, Alison Lee, and Karrie Webb in the record books.
Hull opened her round with an eagle on the 1st before reeling off four further birdies on holes 4, 5, 6, and 9 to turn in 6-under-par. She added five more birdies on the back nine, closing with a gain at the 18th.
“It felt like the easiest 11-under of my life,” said Hull. “I have been so tired this week, exhausted from the last couple of weeks, especially after the AIG Women’s Open. I’ve got a few ongoing injuries, so I’m quite shocked that I’ve shot 11-under today because I felt so tired this morning. I’m standing here right now feeling like I left a couple of shots out there and I want to go and see if I can improve it tomorrow.”
Wales’s Lydia Hall sits in third, three shots off the pace on -8, with Kelsey Bennett and Aine Donegan tied for fifth on -7.
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