Women’s British Open: Saiki flying after double eagle

Most of the talk at the start of the week was over a certain Korean and a fourth straight Major but it was a Japanese player who created all the headlines on the second morning.

After birdies at the 1st and 3rd, and a bogey in between, Miki Saiki then holed an 8-iron at the next hole. Three holes later she holed a pitching wedge from 108 yards.

Come the 9th she had gone out in just 30 shots and a level-par back nine gave her a 66 and total of nine under.

The last time the championship was here, in 2007, the 28-year-old closed with a 67 to shoot up to seventh place and the chance to go even lower this time spurred her on.

The last time the championship was here, in 2007, the 28-year-old closed with a 67 “I think I would rate it the highest just because it’s a Major and the history of the course, you take all that into consideration.”

Saiki, who has won twice this year on the Japanese Tour, got into golf through her late grandfather and it was when he died that she decided to turn professional.

“At first I didn’t take it seriously but when he passed away I decided to live up to his dream of me turning professional.”