AIG Women's Open: Lottie Woad's charge halted by disaster at 16

Miyu Yamashita produced a flawless second-round 65 to storm into the lead at the AIG Women's Open. 

The 23-year-old carded a scintillating, bogey-free 65 on Friday and now sits atop the leaderboard on 11-under-par at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

Her playing partner and fellow Japanese contender Rio Takeda also stayed steady with a solid 69 to back up Thursday's 67, keeping her in solo second at 8-under.

The two will be paired again in Saturday's final group, with a four-shot cushion separating them from a congested pack at 4-under.

Pre-tournament favourite Lottie Woad, 21, made the cut comfortably but wobbled on the 16th hole during her second round. 

The English star, who turned professional two weeks ago and won on her debut in Scotland, caught fire mid-round with a flurry of six birdies in 10 holes but came unstuck with a triple-bogey at the 16th.

Woad felt she was denied relief by a tournament official for an embedded lie. 

"I think it's probably the toughest hole on the course," Woad said. 

"The tee shot is hard to hit the fairway and then you've got a three-wood into a very strong wind. Anything that's missing the target is going to be exaggerated.

"So I pushed it and got a pretty unlucky lie. It wasn't too thick around there apart from where I was, so I couldn't really do much with that."

She added: "I've just got to try to play well over the weekend. The leaderboard is pretty packed so I can move up a bit."

World No.1 Nelly Korda is also safely through to the weekend, but the American is currently nine strokes adrift of the lead after carding a 72. 

Charley Hull is also attempting to win her first major on her 61st attempt. 

The Brit was among the later starters on Friday and endured the tougher playing conditions.  But a 72 saw her safely make the cut. 

The defending champion, Lydia Ko, grinded out a 71 to make the cut but is well down the leaderboard on 2-over par. 

What happened on the 16th hole with Lottie Woad?

Lottie Woad managed to find the fairway with her tee shot at the 16th, but sent her approach into the long grass. 

After a short search, her golf ball was found by her playing partner Lydia Ko. 

Woad attempted to play her third shot but the ball barely moved. 

At this point, she felt that her ball was embedded and asked an R&A rules official for relief. 

She was told to carry on but asked for a second opinion, yet the answer remained the same. 

"It wasn't embedded is the opinion," Woad later told reporters. A journalist prompted: "Much to your disappointment?"

"Yes," came the reply. 

Woad then took an unplayable lie and dropped on a patch of hardpan. Once she got onto the green, she two-putted for a triple. 

The phenom made par on her final two holes.