Ko improves to 20th at first major

CHRISTCHURCH: Lydia Ko saved her best until last with a 68 at the year’s first major yesterday to finish in a share of 20th.

The New Zealand former world No 1 improved 12 places courtesy of her fourunder round at the Mission Hills Country Club course in California.

It left her eight strokes behind a trio of leaders who underwent an extended playoff which had to be postponed because of bad light.

On the pace following her opening round, Ko saw her hopes of repeating her 2016 triumph in Rancho Mirage virtually disappear with a 73 in round three.

The world No 15 is without a tournament win for nearly two years.

Inbee Park and Pernilla Lindberg will return to the course today to decide the tournament.

They played the par5 18th four extra times before it was too dark to continue in the suddendeath playoff.

Jennifer Song dropped out with a par on the third extra hole, and Park and Lindberg decided to play one more hole in fading light.

Twenty minutes after sunset with portable lights and the scoreboard helping illuminate the green, Park made a 1.8m par putt and Lindberg knocked in a tapin to extend the playoff until today.

Seventime major winner Park (67), overnight leader Lindberg (71) and Song (67) all birdied the par5 18th in regulation time for a fourround total on 273, 15 under.