Ko in position to snap LPGA drought
Days after turning 21, Lydia Ko is surrounding herself with family and friends and soaking up good vibes on a golf course she loves as she seeks to end a victory drought.
The former No. 1 shot a 5-under 67 at Lake Merced Golf Club on Saturday for a one-shot lead over Jessica Korda at the LPGA Mediheal Championship.
Ko has two previous victories at Lake Merced among her 14 LPGA Tour wins, but she hasn’t won since July 2016 and has changed instructors twice since then, along with switching caddies and equipment.
“I love San Francisco, and I’m a member here, so sometimes I get some friendly member bounces. But it brings back a lot of
good memories for me,” Ko said. “Coming into the week I knew that no matter how I was going to play, I knew I was going to have a great time. The members here and all the fans have been super supportive.”
The New Zealander, who
celebrated her birthday on Tuesday, hit 14 greens in regulation to match the low round of the day in cool and breezy conditions. Her three-day total of 11-under 205 was enough to overtake Korda, who shot 71. Minjee Lee (68) was three shots back.
Ko followed up her lone bogey by holing a bunker shot for birdie on the par-4 11th. She got up-and-down from a greenside bunker for birdie on the par-5 15th and made a 12-footer with about 3 feet of break that fell in the side of the hole on No. 16.
Korda was 1 over through 12 holes before she rallied with birdies on 13 and 15.
“I’m not sure what golf course Lydia was playing, but she played great,” Korda said.
Ko won the Swinging Skirts LPGA at Lake Merced in 2014 and 2015. Lee also has a title there, the 2012 U.S. Girls Junior.
Mariajo Uribe (68), Ryann O’Toole (69), last week’s winner Moriya Jutanugarn (71) and Charley Hull (73) were five shots back.
Monday qualifier Annie Park, the 2013 NCAA individual champion at USC who has struggled with back problems, shot 75 playing in the final group with Korda and was six behind. KISNER-BROWN BACK IN CONTENTION >> Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown teamed to shoot an 8-under 64 in better ball at to take a oneshot lead heading into the final round of the Zurich Classic in Avondale, Louisiana. The duo lost on the fourth hole of a playoff to Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt last year, the first for the Zurich as a team event. They’re in contention once again atop a crowded leader board at 20-under 196.
Tony Finau and Daniel Summerhays shot a bogey-free 63, and former Cal golfer Michael Kim and Andrew Putnam teamed for a 66 to finish one shot behind Kisner and Brown. There were 13 teams within four shots of the lead.
Several teams went low in the easier better-ball format. The teams of Brice Garnett-Chesson Hadley, Billy Horschel-Scott Piercy and Jason Dufner-Pat Perez all shot 61s to jump into contention. The format switches to alternate shot for the final round. Masters champion Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay shot 66 and sat six shots off the lead. MCNEALY IN HUNT FOR FIRST WEB.COM WIN >> Stanford’s Maverick McNealy’s 2-over 74 in third round was good enough to end the day in the lead at 5-under 211 at the United Leasing & Finance Championship in Evansville, Indiana. McNealy, a rookie looking for his first win, holds a onestroke lead over Jose de Jesus Rodriguez and Ethan Tracy.