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Cristie Kerr overcame a tough start on Friday to claim a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open in North Ayrshire, Scotland. Kerr recorded three birdies against two bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over-par 73 on Friday to reside at 5-under par 139. She sits one stroke ahead of first-round leader Karrie Webb of Australia, who answered a 65 on Thursday with a 75.
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Kerr stumbled with a double-bogey at the par-5 third hole as well as bogeys on Nos. 6 and 11 before notching consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-14 as well as another on 17.
"It was tough," Kerr said. "I hit it so well yesterday, and I mean, that shows you the difference.
"I didn't hit it that great today but I still managed. My caddie and I managed the golf course well, and we made the recovery shots when we needed to. So (I'm) just going to go hit a few balls and try to find the feel. It's hard when you play back-to-back in heavy wind with the swing, but we'll work on it."
Webb, who has 56 wins on the Ladies European Tour and LPGA Tour combined, did her best to put a positive spin on her round.
"It's disappointing because I bogeyed the last two (holes)," the 42-year-old Australian said. "I fought really hard to be one over with two to go, just a couple of bad swings... bad tee shots really that made it difficult to hit the greens.
"So I'm disappointed with that, but obviously if you'd told me before I teed off yesterday I'd be four under I probably would have taken it."
Webb is trying to turn around a difficult season. She is 106th on the LPGA money list.
Korea's Sei Young Kim shot an even-par 69 on Friday to find herself in a tie with fellow Korean Sun Young Yoo (72) at 3-under.
"Today, when we got here, early morning, it was really cold temperature," Kim said. "So I'm wearing three or four jackets. But yeah, it was a tough day and a strong wind on the course. I was going to a really good score on the front nine. I was 6-under. It was tough to judge distance. Trying to get the right distance, that was a tough part of today."
Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum (73), who made three birdies against four bogeys, is 2-under and Iceland's Olafia Kristinsdottir is at 1-under at carding a 70 on Friday.
"I always kept it in play and controlled the wind very well," Kristinsdottir said. "Yeah, it was definitely tough out there with the wind. But yeah, we just did our best and it was really good."
Kristinsdottir admitted that she has been aided by the advice she received from her Scottish coach Derrick Moore, who teaches out of Iceland.
"You've just got to accept what you get, and I've had a lot of experience in bad weather in Iceland," Kristinsdottir said. "So it's definitely helpful. Yeah, my coach is also from Scotland, so he gave me a few tips before playing here. so it's the shot I've been hitting all week. It's like half a shot and keeping it low, and then the wind doesn't affect it as much. It takes the spin off. So that's been really good."
France's Joanna Klatten recorded the low round of the day with a 68 to pull into a four-way tie at even par with England's Georgia Hall (73), Spain's Carlota Ciganda (73) and Australia's Minjee Lee (70).
Olympic champion Inbee Park slipped to 3-over after a 78, while World No. 4 Lydia Ko missed her second cut of the season and third since 2014 following a 79.
Ko recorded five bogeys in her first seven holes on the back nine to get off on the wrong foot.
Defending Ladies Scottish Open champion Isabelle Boineau also missed the cut after shooting a 75 on Friday to fall to plus-7 for the tournament.
