World No.1 amateur Lydia Ko continued her streak of never missing the cut in a professional tournament by the narrowest of margins at the Women's British Open.
The 16-year-old, who fired a three-under par 69 opening round to be tied 18th, battled in the wind on day two to card a four-over 76 to ease inside the two-round cut of the top 60 and ties by one shot.
She sits on a one-over par total 145 at St Andrews in Scotland, and will begin round three 11 shots back from leader Na Yeon Choi (South Korea).
Ko once again delivered under pressure as she made a clutch birdie on the 18th hole which proved the difference and extended her streak of 23 events without missing the cut.
She made the turn in one-over par 37 and then got back to even for the tournament when she birdied the 10th hole. But things unravelled as the wind increased in strength, and she struggled at the par four 13th with a triple bogey.
Ko's coach Guy Wilson said she was punished there for a bad shot off the tee.
"She paid the penalty where she was in the fairway bunker. She had to chip out sideways, missed the green, chipped on and three-putted. It was a harsh penalty for what was one bad shot," he said.
It was a body blow for the teenager, who up until then was handling the conditions well.
Wilson knew Ko making the cut was going to come down to the wire. She was right on the number on the 17th and over-hit the infamous par four's green to be on the road.
"It is an iconic shot to be playing (off the gravel). I think that everyone around here knows that you don't go long on the 17th. She had 220m to the green and hit three wood just over the green.
"It is difficult to make up and down, if not impossible from back there."
But Ko rallied and delivered a great birdie on the last to remain a chance.
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