Jenny Shin takes five-shot lead at Women's Scottish Open

Jenny Shin turned a shared first-round lead into a five-shot advantage at Dundonald Links in Troon, Scotland, posting a 5-under 67 despite opening with a bogey. The South Korean reached 11 under after 36 holes at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, pulling away from Lauren Coughlin, the defending champion, after both had shot 66 in a blustery opening round.

Shin’s second round was built on recovery. After the early mistake, she answered with six birdies and finished with a birdie on her final hole, a sharp response on a course that asked for control more than power. “Tried really hard not to make any three-putts,” Shin said, a simple line that fit the demands of Dundonald Links, where fast, undulating greens can turn a small error into a costly one.

The tournament had been set up as a high-level test from the start. The 2025 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open was scheduled for July 24-27 at Dundonald Links and carried a $2 million purse with $300,000 to the winner. The field featured 4 of the world’s top 10 players, 15 major winners with 23 championships, 33 LPGA Tour winners and 43 LET winners with a combined 223 titles, giving Shin’s margin added weight in a crowded leaderboard.

Dundonald Links, which tournament materials described as a links layout with wide fairways and undulating greens, had hosted the event for a fourth consecutive year in 2025. That setting rewarded patience and shot-making, qualities Shin showed by staying calm after the bogey and building a lead instead of chasing low-percentage chances. Coughlin’s presence kept the top of the board especially relevant, since she entered the week as the reigning champion and had won the previous Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links by four shots.

Other familiar names, including A Lim Kim, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Erika Hara and Esther Henseleit, were part of the deep international field, but Shin had created the clearest path into the weekend. A five-shot lead after two rounds did not end a tournament at a links course, especially with wind and pressure still to come, but it did give Shin control over how aggressively the chasers had to play.