Ko back in major running

Lydia Ko is within touching distance of adding another major golf title to her resume.

The Kiwi ace, who has struggled for her best form throughout the year, will start the final round of the Evian Championship in France just three shots back from the leader in a tie for fourth place.

Ko shot a second round 68 - matching her first round score - at the last major of the LPGA season overnight (NZ time) to leave her at six under par, with leader Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand topping the leaderboard at nine under.

The tournament has been reduced to a three-round event after rain and strong winds caused the first round to be abandoned.

Ko began her second round with a bogey on the par-five first hole but quickly recovered. She strung together three consecutive birdies on the third, fourth and fifth holes and added another on the eighth before finishing her round with 10 consecutive pars.

Jutanugarn also returned a second-round 68 after shooting 65 in the delayed first round to lead by one shot from Japan’s Ayako Uehara. Australia’s Katherine Kirk is alone in third spot at seven under while Ko shares fourth with the South Korean duo of In-Kyung Kim and Sung Hyun Park.

Ko, the 2015 Evian winner, is chasing her first tournament win in over a year, and is coming off a second-place at the Indy Women in Tech Championship.