Putter keeps Ko in the hunt

Lydia Ko has put herself in contention for a third successive major midway through the Women’s PGA Championship in Seattle.

Starting the second round in a share of 10th place, the Kiwi world No 1 withstood some wild weather yesterday to card a one-under par 70 to move into a tie for third on one-under for the tournament.

Ko was just one shot behind leaders Mirim Lee and Brooke Henderson at Sahalee Country Club.

Henderson held the lead after shooting four-under in the first round but the Canadian fell back to the field with a two-over par 73. South Korea’s Lee shot 69 to join her at the top.

Playing in the afternoon, Ko fought through a mix of heavy rain, wind and a significant drop in temperature.

Her two birdies on the front nine were cancelled out by back-toback bogies on the seventh and eighth holes before a birdie on the 17th put her under par.

The 19-year-old was pleased by the way she responded to the difficult conditions and says she is well-placed heading into the final two rounds.

‘‘The higher you’re up the better but I feel like I’m in a really good position right now,’’ Ko said.

‘‘I did a lot of scrambling in the back nine today and if it wasn’t for my putter I wouldn’t be in this position. I’ve got a few things to work on but I’m proud of the way I played the last two days and there’s still a lot of golf to be played.’’

Ko only hit seven of 14 fairways and 11 greens in regulation, saving her round with just 28 putts.

She almost pulled off the shot of the day at the par-three ninth when her tee shot found the green and rolled towards the hole only to bounce off the flag.

But the real winner the first two days was Sahalee. Cut between the towering pine and cedar trees the course was unrelenting in its difficulty. For the first two days there have been only 22 rounds under par and seven in the 60s. The course is playing nearly fourand-a-half shots over par.

Heading home is three-time defending champion Inbee Park. A day after wrapping up a LPGA Hall of Fame spot, the South Korean star shot a 79 to drop to 9 over.

Meanwhile, on the Web.com Tour, Josh Geary is tied fourth after a six-under par 66 yesterday, three shots back from the leaders.

Geary had a blemish-free day, with two birdies on the front and he added another four on the back nine at the Ivanhoe Club in Illinois.

But Tim Wilkinson failed to make the cut at the St Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind course in Memphis after a second-round 73.

The groupings for next week’s US Open at Oakmont have been released with Wilkinson playing alongside Peter Hanson from Sweden and Thailand’s Thitiphun Chuayprakong.

Kiwi No 1 Danny Lee will play with England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and An Byeong-hun from South Korea.