Emma Talley is on fire in Northern Ireland.
After two rounds at the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Modest! Golf Management, Talley’s 13-under par total is the best score in the event, male or female.
With nine birdies on Friday, the former Caldwell County High School and University of Alabama standout scorched Massereene Golf Club on the way to a 7-under-par 65 in the second round and three-stroke lead over Chella Choi and Jennifer Kupcho.
Talley shot a 6-under 67 in the first round on Thursday.
This is the first time in her four-year LPGA career that Talley has held a 36-hole advantage. Her previous best position was outright second at the 2018 ISPS Handa Australian Open, where she ultimately finished in a tie for seventh.
A three-putt bogey on No. 2, which was Talley’s 11th hole of the day, had her at 8-under overall.
However, Talley birdied five of her last six holes to get to 13-under and earn her that three-shot lead heading into Saturday’s third round.
“I started on No. 10 and kind of got mad on No. 2, which was my 11th hole. I had two three-putts today, and my second instance came at hole 1,” Talley said after her round. “I looked at my caddie after the round and said, ‘Maybe I should get mad more often,’ because after that I started playing really well. An angry Emma. You don’t see it often, but I was mad.”
Talley will be joined in Saturday’s final grouping at the ISPS Handa World Invitational by Chella Choi and Jennifer Kupcho.
That group has a 1:50 p.m. tee time on Saturday. That’s 7:50 a.m. Central time.
