LYTHAM ST ANNES, England —Haeran Ryu’s name being on top of the leaderboard at the end of play has become a familiar sight in golf in the past six weeks. Major wins at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and then the Amundi Evian Championship 14 days later have taken the world No. 3 to another level.And now at Royal Lytham & St Annes for the 50th edition of the AIG Women’s Open, the 25-year-old, who is in first place after 36 holes, is threatening to soar to a new stratosphere as she looks to make it three major wins in three tournament starts.The last time a women’s player won three majors in a row was Ryu’s South Korean compatriot Inbee Park. The seven-time major winner achieved the feat in 2013.As her round began on Friday, it looked like Ryu might be dropping back and letting others surge forward without her. This course has 166 bunkers in total, and in windy conditions, the greens can be tough to find. It was a battle at times for Ryu, but she persevered just as she has done so much — and so easily — this summer.A bogey on hole No. 3 was far from fun. A double bogey on No. 5 was even worse. But one thing about the two-time major winner is just that. Ryu is a two-time major winner, and while that might add pressure to keep on delivering, it has freed Ryu up mentally.After falling to 2-under through six holes, Ryu smiled. These pressure-releasing moments of laughter with her caddie Martin Bozek have become customary as she tries to forge her way to an unpromised promise land.They are the smiles that helped Ryu climb the leaderboard on the final day at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., to win the PGA Championship. They are the smiles that led her to a record-breaking round of 60 in Evian, France, the lowest score in any major round in history. They are the smiles prevalent over the last 12 holes on Friday as she shot 5-under to get to 7-under-par for the week.Ryu was the chaser at the PGA Championship and then turned into the chased at Evian. Now she will be chased again. How does it feel carrying the weight of the lead?“I don’t want to focus on other players,” said Ryu, who has 10 embroidered sunshines on her golf bag to represent her professional wins to date. “I just keep thinking about my golf and the golf course because (there are) a lot of great players in here, so that’s why I just want to think about my golf. Because this is a major, nobody knows what comes up.”With 36 holes done and 36 to play on the west Lancashire coast, quite a few players are vying for the position Ryu holds by a single shot.Shiho Kuwaki is one shot back of the lead at the AIG Women’s Open. (Glynn Kirk / AFP via Getty Images)Shiho Kuwaki of Japan also had to overcome a bogey on the par-4 third hole. But the 23-year-old, known for her on-course fashion, rediscovered her Thursday form in style on Friday to finish 6-under-par. That score had been good enough for a share of the lead until Ryu ended the day on a birdie putt.When the flag was placed back into the pin, Ryu was hugged by world No. 1 Nelly Korda, winner of the first two majors this year, and the champion golfer of two years ago, Lydia Ko. Ryu has spent the past two days playing alongside and learning from both.“Nelly didn’t have the best round, but she was very calm. I think I was able to take that and be very calm in my round today even when I had a rough start,” Ryu said. “For Lydia, I was amazed by her course management. She knew where to place her balls even when it was a tough situation.”Ko and Korda are six shots back of Ryu.“Just really solid,” Korda said of Ryu’s opening rounds. “You can tell she’s a very confident player right now, as she should be. Just won the past two majors. Just hitting it really good. Putting really, really well too. I think her and Martin just make a really good team too on the greens. She’s playing really good golf.”The world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul (-5) had the lead after a bogey-free first round but went 2-over-par on Friday. She will be eager to remain in contention for what would be a first major victory. American Yealimi Noh is also two shots back after two solid rounds of ball striking. Among a clustered chasing pack are English duo Charley Hull and Lottie Woad. They both ended their second rounds 2-under-par and are not going to give up a potential maiden major win in the home tournament that easily.One player who will not be in the mix is Japan’s Miyu Yamashita. The reigning champion from Royal Porthcawl a year ago did not make the cut, proving the trials and tribulations of links golf can be expectedly brutal.