• South Korean eight shots adrift of compatriot Choi Na-yeon
• Choi hits second 67 for one-shot lead at St Andrews
Inbee Park's attempt to make history is hanging in the balance after the South Korean found herself well off the pace at the end of the second round of the Ricoh Women's British Open.
Park, seeking to become the first player – male or female – to win four professional major championships in the same year, could add only a 73 to her opening 69 on the Old Course at St Andrews.
That left the 25-year-old from Seoul two under par, eight shots adrift of her compatriot Choi Na-yeon who mastered the strong winds which made life difficult for the later starters.
Choi had a second consecutive 67 to finish 10 under par, one shot ahead of Japan's Miki Saiki with the American Morgan Pressel another stroke back.
Saiki fired two eagles in four holes in a round of 66, while Pressel was far less spectacular with 16 pars and two birdies in her 70.
Seventh in 2007 when the event was last staged at St Andrews, Saiki holed out with an eight iron from 127 yards on the 4th and from 107 yards with a wedge on the 7th, although she walked up to the green with her putter in hand on the latter, having not seen the ball drop.
"I think it's just fortunate I feel confident playing this course," Saiki said through an interpreter. "I think you need the right course management."
Pressel certainly got her course management right as she recorded a flawless round, adding: "I played very well today and didn't really put myself in any trouble. I only had one par putt of maybe about six or seven feet on 11, the rest were tap-ins. I missed a lot of birdie putts out there.
"I gave myself a lot of chances and they were scaring the hole but just didn't go in. On the last hole I was ready to give a big fist-pump because the birdie putt was in the middle of the hole but it lipped out on the low side."
Norway's Suzann Pettersen is three shots off the lead after a 67 and Scotland's Catriona Matthew leads the home challenge on two under after a 74.
Pettersen said: "I'm very happy with this round. I got off to a fairly quick start, gave myself plenty of chances and don't feel like I left anything out there really.
"The finishing stretch is quite a few tough holes so, if you want to play smart, you're still leaving yourself a lot of long approaches. I think it's just hard to hit them close.
"I've got to go out and keep doing what I'm doing, giving myself a lot of great chances, playing smart, trying to play to my strengths and not take too many risks being greedy off the tee. So far it's paid off."
