Ko surges into shot at title with top display

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has put a miserable second-round performance at this week’s LPGA event in Taiwan behind her with a superb third-round display, surging up the leaderboard to second.

Ko bagged a four-under par 68 in yesterday’s third round in Taipei to give herself the slimmest of chances at a first LPGA title since July last year.

She now sits on four-under overall, six shots off leader Eun-Hee Ji.

Tied for 17th at the start of the day’s play, Ko bagged four birdies and a bogey on the front nine before another two birdies on the 13th and 14th holes.

She faltered with a 17th-hole double bogey but rallied for a birdie on the 18th.

The 20-year-old is ranked ninth in the world.

● Danny Lee has had a disastrous third round at the CJ Cup tournament at the Nine Bridges course in South Korea.

Justin Thomas fired a two-underpar 70 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round.

Thomas offset a lone double bogey and a bogey with five birdies to reach the clubhouse at 9-under 207.

Scott Brown had back-to-back bogeys on 10 and 11 but recovered with a birdie on 15, adding to the one he had on the par-4 No 5.

India’s Anirban Lahiri moved into a share of third place with Australian Marc Leishman (71) after a 69 that included four birdies and a bogey.

Overnight leader Luke List struggled with the windy conditions and fell into a tie for eighth place after a 76. List had three bogeys on the front nine and a pair of double bogeys on the back nine.

Aussie star Jason Day also struggled with the wind, carding a 71 to be tied for 16th.

Lee’s downhill slide began on the back nine, where he picked up five bogeys, and as he made the turn, his luck changed only slightly.

Two double bogeys — on the parfour fifth and the par-five ninth — left him well down the leaderboard, with his horror day offset just a little, by a birdie on the par-four sixth.

He finished eight-over for the day and for the tournament, and sits in a tie for 61st.

● Kiwi golfer Mark Brown is poised two shots off the leaders at the halfway mark of the WA Open in Perth.

Brown, 42, started poorly with three bogeys in the opening five holes of his second round but birdied the next three to turn at even par.

He collected two more birdies at the start of the back nine, then finished with a flourish in adding an eagle at the par-five 18th.

His four-under 68 and opening round 69 give him a share of third alongside Matthew Stieger, within touch of young NSW golfer Callan O’Reilly whose second- round 65 gave him a share of the lead with Stephen Leaney.