CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- Nelly Korda could barely raise a smile after tapping in for the first birdie of her second round at the Women's British Open.
On a day her putter turned cold, it had taken 14 holes for the world's top-ranked player to pick up a shot at Carnoustie.
Some of her big rivals had no such problems Friday.
Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion, overcame a double-bogey at the 15th hole -- the start of a brutal finish at the storied Scottish links course -- to shoot 3-under 69 for a share of the 36-hole lead with American Mina Harigae at 7 under overall.
One stroke back was No. 4 Sei Young Kim (71), a major champion from last year, and Lizette Salas (69), who finished second to Korda at the PGA Championship in June.
Lexi Thompson, looking to add to her sole major win in 2014, shot 70 and was part of a big group at 5 under.
Then came Korda in another large group at 4 under. The recently crowned Olympic champion shot 1-over 73 and was one of only two players in the current top 16 on the leaderboard to shoot over par on another benign day when the wind held off and it felt almost balmy at times near the east coast of Scotland.
Hall was hoping that wouldn't last.
"I think it's about time it got windy," Hall said. "It's proper links golf and that's what people want to see and I think it makes golf much more interesting when there's a lot of wind. So I'm quite excited to play in it."
Hall, who won the event three years ago at Royal Lytham, rolled in six birdies in her first 14 holes to move into a one-stroke lead at 9 under.
The double-bogey 6 at No. 15 dropped her into what would shortly be a four-way tie for the lead and she parred her way home to join Harigae, who rolled in a long, winding birdie putt at the last to complete a round of 67 that contained seven birdies in all.
In the last five years at the Women's Open, no player has more rounds in the 60s than Hall (nine) and that is filling the 25-year-old English golfer with confidence heading into the weekend.
"I do feel very calm when I am playing the British Open," Hall said. "It is just so nice to play in front of the crowds. We missed that last year and to hear them cheering my name is great. I'm having a lot of fun."
That's something Korda didn't seem to have.
Even making a big right-to-left putt for birdie at 17 failed to cheer up the world's best player, who parred her first eight holes after a series of missed putts from mid-range.
"I don't think I hit it that bad," Korda said. "The only thing I struggled on was making those putts and getting it close."
Frustration got the better of Korda as she bogeyed No. 9, missing a putt from 8 feet, and No. 11. Further missed chances at Nos. 12 and 13 didn't improve her mood.
The first of her two birdies came at the par-5 14th after she reached the green in two.
"Everyone keeps talking about how I'm playing so well, but I'm going to shoot bad scores," Korda said. "I'm human."
Sophia Popov, last year's unlikely champion at Royal Troon when ranked No. 304, missed the cut after she double-bogeyed the last hole with a three-putt to shoot 75 for a 3-over total.
Also missing the cut were No. 5-ranked Danielle Kang, Charley Hull and European Ryder Cup captain Catriona Matthew (75), the 2009 champion.
Laura Davies, who has played every Women's Open since 1980, is sticking around, though. The 57-year-old Englishwoman shot 70 and was even par for the tournament.
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Georgia Hall, Mina Harigae share lead at Women's Open; Nelly Korda struggles - ESPN
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