Hull and Hall in the hunt at ANA Inspiration

England's Charley Hull and Georgia Hall remain within striking distance of the lead after the second round of the ANA Inspiration. Hull carded a three-under 69 to sit in a share of fourth place on six-under-par, three shots behind leader Patty Tavatanakit.
Georgia Hall, who is looking for her second major title, was round in a two-under-par 70 to sit a stroke back from Hull in a tie for sixth.

Overnight leader Tavatanakit held on to the ANA Inspiration lead after a second-round 69 to sit at nine-under overall. The 2020/21 Tour rookie, who holds a thirty-six-hole lead for the first time in her career, rebounded from a bogey on her first hole (the 10th) with an eagle on the 15th followed by a birdie on the following hole to pick up momentum as she reached the turn.
Tavatanakit added two further birdies at the 2nd and 4th holes and had just the one dropped shot at the 7th in her round of 69.

Tavatanakit said she’s up for the challenge of contending for her first LPGA Tour title.
“(I’m) pretty confident, but nothing too, you know, getting ahead of myself. I don't want to do that. That's a red flag right there. You don't want to be -- that to be in good position on the weekend,” said Tavatanakit, who won three times on the Symetra Tour in 2019.
“Just keep doing what I'm doing and stay patient, stay with the present. I been doing that pretty well today. Just listening to different kind of sounds out there and just being in my own world.”
One shot back is Shanshan Feng of China who added a second-round 69 to her opening 67 to sit in solo second at eight-under. Feng persisted through a roller-coaster of a front nine, carding four birdies and three bogeys before making the turn.

Staying patient turned out to be the key for the two-time major champion, who closed with birdies on her final two holes, the 17th and 18th.
“I didn't really expect myself to shoot a bogey-free round yesterday, so I expect on this course, especially my first tournament coming back, I am going to have some mistakes. And so, you know, I just missed a few fairways and few up and downs and so I made some bogeys. I was very like fine with it because I expected it,” said Feng.
“But I felt really happy that after that, I mean, I started to hit more fairways on the back, so be able to hit more greens and have more birdie chances. Coming back on the back nine I think was pretty well done.”

Moriya Jutanugarn, who carded her career-best finish at Mission Hills Country Club in 2018 (tied sixth), is third on seven-under. “
It was another pretty solid round for me. You know, just have to be a lot of patient out there. Seems like the wind blowing starting this morning and it's just make it different,” said Jutanugarn. “

Charley Hull and Anna Nordqvist are currently tied for fourth at six-under, with six major champions in a tie for sixth at five-under: Lydia Ko, Inbee Park, Sophia Popov, Georgia Hall, Jin Young Ko and defending champion Mirim Lee.

A total of 71 players made the cut at +1, tying the record for the lowest cut in ANA Inspiration history, last recorded in 2018. The lone amateur in the field, 2020 Women’s British Amateur Champion Aline Krauter, will miss the weekend after finishing +3 overall.

Michelle Wie West who had made the headlines after her opening round of 70 sadly could not reproduce the form of day one. Wie West was round in seven-over to comfortably miss the cut.