Kiwis conjure up convocation of eagles

Kiwi golfers are are flying high around the globe, with Ryan Fox, Lydia Ko and Josh Geary all firing in eagles.

Ko is contention for the LPGA’s season-ending tour championship, Fox is similarly placed in Europe’s flagship sign-off, and Josh Geary is set for the world stage after qualifying for his European Tour card.

Ko struck a clinical five-under-par

67 in yesterday’s action to sit just one shot off leaders Peiyun Chien and Sarah Jane Smith after one round in the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.

The 20-year-old former world No 1 was in fine nick from the outset, notching a birdie on the third hole and bogeying just once.

She produced a flawless back nine, including successive birdies on the

13th and 14th holes and an eagle on the 17th, to end the day on a high.

Ko has shown signs in recent months of getting her game back. Her biggest concern yesterday was the prospect of throwing away her eagle with what looked like being a double bogey on the final hole.

From a buried lie in the bunker, however, she hit the perfect shot and the ball rattled into the cup for par and a 67.

“I don’t think I’ve made a par like that before,” Ko said. “I hit it way too hard and it kind of half-plugged in the bunker. I said, ‘Oh, great. What am I going to make?’ Luckily, it was the perfect place to hit for a four.”

Despite a winless season, Ko carries a slim chance of stealing the biggest monetary prize in women’s golf at this week’s event.

The Korea-born Aucklander is ranked 12th on the CME Race to the Globe money list, but could still snare the $US1 million ($NZ1.4m) prize for the tour’s leading points earner.

However, she would have to both win the Tour Championship and hope a host of other golfers finish well down the field.

In Dubai, Fox also finished strongly, with an eagle at the par-five 18th as he carded a five-under 67 to sit tied for fourth, two shots behind leader Patrick Reed. The 30-year-old also carded four birdies and one bogey at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

After struggling with his game in his last few tournaments, Fox said he was happy to play some good golf again.

“[It was] nice to take advantage of some pretty decent golf out there. It’s been a little bit of a struggle the last three weeks,” Fox told Radio Sport.

“I just haven’t been making mistakes. I think this golf course probably suits me a little better than the last couple of weeks.”

And Geary earned his European Tour card after carding a six-under 65 in the final round of Q-school.

Geary sat in a tie for 17th going into the final day of the six-round qualifying stage at the Lumine Golf Club in Tarragona, Spain, needing a top-25 finish to earn his tour card.

The 32-year-old was more than up for it, posting two eagles, four birdies and two bogeys to finish at a tie for ninth at 17-under, booking his spot in the European Tour next year.

After a slow start to the event, Geary made his big move on day five when he carded eight birdies on his way to a seven-under 64, jumping 33 spots on the leaderboard in the process.

Geary will join fellow Kiwi Fox on the European Tour in 2018.