The eerie similarities between the Open champion and Women’s Open leader

Much like last month’s Open Championship, the AIG Women’s Open is turning into a rout.

Through 36 holes at Walton Heath Golf Club, no one has played better than American Ally Ewing. Her rounds of 68 and 66 have her five strokes ahead of the pack as she seeks her first major-championship victory.

Could we be in for a runaway performance much like the one Brian Harman put on at Hoylake? Let’s dig into it.

Harman and Ewing similarities

Dominant links performances aren’t the only similarities Harman and Ewing share — they’re also alike in the level of supremacy over their competition. Just like Harman at Hoylake, Ewing holds a five-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the tournament. Each fired four under in Round 1, followed by six under in Round 2. And, both were/are seeking their first major titles across the pond.

But wait, there’s more: Both Harman and Ewing enjoyed fruitful amateur careers, with each appearing on winning amateur national teams (Walker Cup and Curtis Cup). The duo both played in the SEC during their collegiate careers — Harman at Georgia and Ewing at Mississippi State — and each hails from the South. Oh yeah, and their alma maters share the same mascot, too. They’re even almost the same height, with Harman at 5-foot-7 and Ewing at 5-foot-6.

If Ewing can follow in Harman’s footsteps for a couple more rounds, they’ll share one more thing in common — being major champions.

The chasers

Ewing might hold a comfortable lead through 36 holes, but that doesn’t mean this tournament is over. Five strokes back sits a trio of competitors who fired in the 60s on Friday, including Charley Hull who’s fresh off a second-place showing at the U.S. Women’s Open. Another stroke back is a quartet of experienced players, including major champs Lilia Vu and Hyo Joo Kim, while Minjee Lee, Jin Young Ko and Allisen Corpuz lag behind by another shot. Ewing has been impressive thus far, but she’ll need to keep the pedal down if she hopes to claim her maiden major victory.

Best quote

“I’m happy how I hit it off the tee and holed some long putts and I’m buzzing for the next few rounds.” —Charley Hull

Down the leaderboard

1. Ally Ewing (-10)
T2. Charley Hull (-5)
T2. Minami Katsu (-5)
T2. Andrea Lee (-5)
T5. Gabby Lopez (-4)
T5. Alison Lee (-4)
T5. Hyo Joo Kim (-4)
T5. Lilia Vu (-4)
T9. Perine Delacour (-3)
T9. Jin Young Ko (-3)
T9. Minjee Lee (-3)
T9. Nasa Hataoka (-3)
T9. Aditi Ashok (-3)
T9. Allisen Corpuz (-3)
T9. Atthaya Thitikul (-3)
T9. Jodi Ewart Shadoff (-3)
T9. Angel Yin. (-3)

Notables

T18. Linn Grant (-2)
T28. Nelly Korda (-1)
T28. Ruoning Yin (-1)
T28. Rose Zhang (-1)
T40. Leona Maguire (E)
T47. Anna Nordqvist (+1)
T47. Celine Boutier (+1)
T61. Danielle Kang (+2)
MC. Patty Tavatanakit (+3)
MC. Stacy Lewis (+3)
MC. Yuka Saso (+3)
MC. Brooke Henderson (+3)
MC. Lydia Ko (+4)
MC. Jennifer Kupcho (+4)
MC. Lexi Thompson (+7)

Full leaderboard

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.