Jenny Shin Opens Five-Shot Lead at Women's Scottish Open

Posted : 25 July 2026

Jenny Shin strengthened her grip on the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open after producing another impressive display in the second round at Dundonald Links on Friday.

The South Korean followed her opening-round 66 with a five-under-par 67 to reach 11-under overall. Shin recovered from an early bogey on the opening hole by carding six birdies during a composed, blemish-free remainder of the round to establish a commanding five-shot advantage heading into the weekend.

Reflecting on her performance, Shin admitted the conditions felt slightly easier than during the opening round but believed she could still have taken advantage of more scoring opportunities.

"I think it was actually a little bit easier than yesterday. I made birdies when I could and tried really hard not to make any three-putts," Shin said.

The 33-year-old also revealed she has never previously held a five-shot lead in a professional tournament and intends to remain patient over the final two rounds.

Germany's Esther Henseleit climbed into second place after adding a four-under 68 to her opening-round 70. Henseleit birdied the 16th and 17th before producing an eagle on the par-five third to move to six-under for the championship.

The German welcomed the firmer conditions at Dundonald Links, saying they rewarded strategic shot-making rather than simply targeting flags.

"It is nice to actually see this golf course play as a links course. You have to think about your shots and the bounces. I always enjoy doing it," Henseleit said.

Scotland's Hannah Darling also secured a place for the weekend after producing five birdies in her second round. The 23-year-old became the only Scottish player to make the cut and is guaranteed to receive the 2026 Jock McVicar Award.

American Lauren Coughlin, who shared the overnight lead with Shin, settled for an even-par round after recovering from a difficult front nine. She slipped to four-under overall but remains within the top contenders entering the third round.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda struggled to cope with the strengthening winds despite a promising start. The American reached two-under during her round before dropping four shots over her final four holes to card a 76 and fall to four-over overall.

England's Charley Hull recovered from an opening-round 78 by shooting a one-under 71 to comfortably make the cut at five-over, while defending champion Lottie Woad also improved with a level-par second round despite battling putting difficulties throughout the day.

Georgia Hall failed to recover from her opening-round struggles and missed the cut after finishing at 14-over, while Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist dropped down the leaderboard following a second-round 79.

Shin and Henseleit will tee off together in Saturday's final group at 12:35 p.m. local time, with challenging links conditions expected to provide another stern test as the battle for the title continues.

Jenny Shin Opens Five-Shot Lead at Women's Scottish Open

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