BELLEAIR, Fla. — Sweden’s Linn Grant and Australia’s Grace Kim are tied atop the leaderboard after the second round at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.

Grant opened her week at Pelican Golf Club with a 2-under 68 that saw her make three bogeys and five birdies, three of which came in a four-hole stretch from holes five to eight. The 26-year-old then caught fire on Friday, posting a nearly perfect 7-under 63 to vault from T8 to T1 through 36 holes in Belleair, Fla.

Starting round two on the 10th hole, Grant dropped a shot immediately with a bogey, but the two-time European Solheim Cup Team member recovered by ripping off three straight birdies on the par-4 11th, par-3 12th and par-4 13th holes to climb to 4-under for the tournament.

She landed two more blows on her opening nine, making a pair of birdies on 16 and 18 to turn in 31 at 6-under overall. Grant then birdied one, three and six on her inward nine to post what is her second 63 in her last three LPGA Tour starts, as the Swede also shot 63 on day two of the BMW Ladies Championship in the Republic of Korea last month.

“I hit some really good shots. Tee-to-green today was very good,” said Grant, who hit 10 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in round two. “I felt like I played similar yesterday, but I just couldn't get the putts to go in, and today, a lot of them went in. So, it was really fun out there. I just went out and told myself before just do your best and try your best, and not have too much pressure for myself.”

Kim, who became a first-time major winner in July after her playoff victory over current Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, is tied with Grant at 9-under overall.

The Epson Tour graduate went off in the morning wave on day two at Pelican Golf Club after kicking off her week in the Sunshine State with a 5-under 65 on Thursday, and Kim got the party started early in the second round by picking up a birdie on the par-4 1st hole to move to 6-under for the tournament.

The two-time LPGA Tour winner then landed two more punches on the par-5 7th and par-3 9th holes to jump to 8-under overall, getting to 10-under when she made a pair of back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11. Kim dropped a shot with a bogey on the par-5 14th hole, ultimately parring in to finish with a 4-under 66 and to hold just the third 36-hole lead/co-lead of her brief Tour tenure after play wrapped on Friday at The ANNIKA.

“I just kind of kept my mojo going. Just hit lots of fairways and tried to make a lot of putts,” said Kim, who found 12 fairways and 14 greens on Friday. “It helped, probably, I hit a few more close today, making more easier birdies. I guess I just stayed in my lane really.”

Major champion Jennifer Kupcho shares third with Republic of Korea native and first-round leader Haeran Ryu at 8-under total, while Mexico’s Gaby Lopez is alone in fifth at 7-under after shooting 64 in the second round.

Defending champion Nelly Korda, who also won The ANNIKA in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022, is in a four-way tie for sixth at 6-under, and there are five players at 5-under and tied for 10th, including three-time LPGA Tour winner and Englishwoman Charley Hull.

Amateur Anne-Sterre den Dunnen was the only sponsor exemption to make the cut at Pelican Golf Club, sitting at even par through 36 holes.

Lauren Nguyen and Kai Trump, the latter of whom was also making her LPGA Tour debut at The ANNIKA, won’t play the weekend in Belleair, Fla. Nguyen finished her week at 6-over, and Trump followed her opening 83 with a 75 on Friday at Pelican Golf Club.

A total of 69 players made the cut.

Linn Grant, Grace Kim Share the 36-Hole Lead at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican

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