Leona Maguire among the chasing pack at Saudi International

Leona Maguire carded an impressive second round 69 at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, where India's Aditi Ashok holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage on 13-under par.

Maguire improved on her opening round 71, carding four birdies and a bogey and stands at four-under par and a tie for 22nd.

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Stephanie Meadow will play no further part at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club after successive rounds of 77 saw her finish on 10-over par.

Ashok is the player to catch after a second round 66. Starting from the 10th, she fired five birdies in her first seven holes before holing out from a greenside bunker on the par-five 18th to be out in 29.

The 24-year-old, who won her fourth LET title in Kenya by nine shots earlier this month, dropped shots on the first and sixth before completing her round with a birdie on the ninth.

At 13 under par Ashok enjoyed a two-shot lead over world number one Lydia Ko and American Lilia Vu, with Ko adding a 69 to her opening 64 and Vu matching Ashok’s 66 despite the windy conditions.

"I thought it was pretty windy when I saw the birds going sideways," joked Ko, who carded six birdies and three bogeys.

"Luckily for us we were one of the early few groups in the afternoon so we had to bear the wind a little less than some of the other players, but all in all I thought I played pretty solid in that stretch when it did get pretty windy."

The tournament has enjoyed a five-fold increase in prize money to $5m (€4.7m) to match the purse offered in the men's PIF Saudi International.