Why golf can be handed massive growth boost this weekend at St Andrews

World No 1 Nelly Korda and 2023 runner-up Charley Hull embrace on the ninth green at the end of their second round in the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews. Picture: Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

People talk a lot about trying to grow golf. Actions speak louder than words, though, and the world’s leading women golfers are certainly doing their bit to use arguably the greatest stage in the game to attract a new generation of players into the sport.

At the halfway stage in the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, world No 1 Nelly Korda leads the way, crowd-puller Charley Hull is also in the mix and so, too, is the new Olympic champion, Lydia Ko. Add defending champion Lilia Vu and 2022 winner Ashleigh Buhai into the melting pot and a cracking final two days lie ahead on the Old Course in the final major of the 2024 campaign, but the bigger picture is even more exciting.

This correspondent may well be way too old to properly recognise exactly what teenagers are looking for in terms of role models these days, but I feel confident in saying that Korda, Hull and Ko in particular among those mentioned all fit the bill. It’s hugely exciting, therefore, that the trio are in contention in this event’s third edition at the Home of Golf.

Olympic champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand looks on after teeing off in the second round of the AIG Women's Open. Picture: Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images.

“Yeah, for sure,” said Korda, who, on the back of winning six times this season, has done more than anyone recently to encourage young girls to take up the game at a time when, as was pointed out to me in bumping into Phil Anderton, The R&A’s chief development officer, on a wander into the Fife town, more people than ever playinf the game, of that being the case. “There's so much support for Charley here, it's incredible to see,” added Korda. “The fans and the crowds have been amazing thus far, and I can't wait to see what the weekend holds.”

Ko, of course, has been inspiring youngsters for more than a decade and, on the back of completing a full collection of Olympic medals by picking up a gold one in Paris just under a fortnight ago, the Kiwi is continuing to do her bit to show how the game is a platform for players from all over the world to see dreams come true.

“Yeah, it's super cool,” she said of that leaderboard here. “Obviously Nelly is playing amazing and there's just so many other big names that are playing great. Yeah, I think it's exciting for golf when not only one player from a certain country but multiple different players from different countries are all in contention.”

Having opened with a brace of 68s to sit on eight-under-par, Korda has been the star of the show so far over two testing days on the Fife coast. Remarkably given the windy conditions, the 26-year-old has only had one bogey while she’s birdied the 17th in both rounds. “Yeah, we have a good relationship right now,” she said, smiling, of the Road Hole, having only required a “controlled 7-iron” second-time around rather than a “controlled 5-iron” on Thursday.

A decision to put a new putter in her bag this week has paid dividends for the 26-year-old, who is making her eighth appearance in this event yet has only managed to finish in the top ten once whereas her record in the other four women’s majors, including a couple of wins, is more impressive.

“I just needed to look at something different,” she said of a TaylorMade Spider being her weapon of choice on the greens here. “It rolls really nicely and I'm very pleased with it. The greens here are slow due to the weather. On my 17th hole of the day, No 8, I had what was probably like a 20-footer and I hit almost like a 40-footer. It's all about distance control out here and kind of getting it within a certain range so you have an easy two-putt.”

Korda’s first taste of links golf came just along the coast from here at Kingsbarns in this event seven years ago and she’s ready to embrace whatever Mother Nature has in store for the final two rounds. “Whatever it throws at me, I’ll just adapt,” she declared. “I think that's what's so fun about links golf is you're literally starting it 30 yards left of your target and, though I'm not a fade player, I'm hitting massive fades. I think it's fun hitting these little low drivers, too.”

Having opened with rounds of 69-70 to sit just three shots behind Korda, Vu has teed up an opportunity to become the first player to land this prize back-to-back since Taiwan’s Yani Tseng in 2010/11, but, with all due respect to the American, it’s the player alongside her on five under who is likely to be carrying the bulk of the support over the weekend as there is no denying that Hull, last year’s runner-up, is a popular figure whenever it comes to this tournament.

After starting out as the overnight leader following her 67 on Thursday, the 28-year-old English player had dropped back to just two under before rallying to pick up three birdies in her final five holes to salvage a 72. Hull admitted a younger version of her would have been “frustrated” by her day-two start and is hoping the way she “dug deep” is a sign of things to come in the closing 36 holes.

“Yeah, only three shots behind,” said Hull, who is bidding to land her major breakthrough after being a bridesmaid on three occasions. “That's nothing going into the weekend especially on this golf course. I left a lot of putts out there. I think Nelly had 30 putts and I had 36 putts. That's six putts that I've lost to her on the greens, so I'm going to go out there and do some pace putting this afternoon.”