Pettersen tames Turnberry, sets 2nd-round lead

The wind and stinging rain lashing off the Firth of Clyde raked away whatever it could Friday at Trump Turnberry.

Michelle Wie withdrew after aggravating a left ankle injury when she slipped to the ground as she walked off the 13th tee.

While the 34-year-old Norwegian isn’t exactly known for her long patience, she was unshakably in control through her morning round. “Everything you need in conditions like this”. This ranks pretty high as a round of golf. In fact, it was the only round under par in that first-half wave.

On two over par, she is nine-shots shy of Pettersen. Pettersen left David Leadbetter for Harmon in November of previous year.

“But my goal is to win one major in my career”.

She noted that his copter was “really nice” and said, “I would love one”. “I expect to be president”, Trump said. I would feel the pain at the top of the swing.

“I always felt I had a different gear in my body and going to Butch was the right thing”. One, from a technical standpoint, simplifying everything. Perhaps not coincidentally, both Ko and Pettersen played in last week’s Scottish Ladies Open at nearby Dundonald, readying themselves – as so many of their male counterparts do in the Scottish Open immediately before the Open – for the bigger test ahead.

“It’s just a much easier move”, Pettersen said.

In the meantime, it seemed everyone was in lockdown on Trump as there’s no appetite to bite the hand that feeds them, but Lizette Salas, the US Solheim Cup player of Mexican descent, bravely fronted up. “Essentially, handshake-handshake. It’s super simple”. “He’ll give it to me if I don’t play well, for sure”.

Bogeys on the 17th and 18th were costly but the 19-year-old will be feeling upbeat she can make a good run at winning her first major just over two months since claiming her maiden LPGA victory at the Kingsmill Championship.

Yesterday, the 2013 British Open champion sported the sunny disposition of someone who had been reunited with the tools of her trade.

She finished the day five under par and is now tied in second position. The ball was not flying anywhere and it was very cold. After that she went into sharp reverse, six shots going in the next six holes and back to two-under. “It’s really tough”. Her only error was a bunkered tee shot and a four at the short sixth.

But state fair spokeswoman Mindy Williamson said Trump did not ask for permission to do so, nor would he be granted permission if he does indeed seek it. “He is welcome to land his helicopter anywhere outside the grounds and take people on rides or whatever he would like to do”, she said. Pettersen shot a 69 on Friday, leaving her two strokes up on Lydia Ko, Teresa Lu, So Yeon Ryu and Jin-Young Ko.

Turning a brief trip to the Women’s British Open in Turnberry, Scotland – where he owns a golf course – into a campaign stop, Trump on Thursday described relations between the United States and Russian Federation as “unbelievably bad”. “I made a lot of key putts today”.