Ko goes cold to drop 10 shots off pace at major

Kiwi golfer Lydia Ko has fallen well off the pace after two rounds of the ANA Inspiration major championship in California.

Ko carded a second-round twoover par 74 to slide from a share of ninth into a tie for 36th at one-under, 10 shots off the lead held by American Nelly Korda.

Ko’s round started poorly with two bogies on her first three holes, and while she steadied proceedings with two birdies and two bogies on the rest of her card, the two-over round leaves her needing an immense turnaround to launch back into contention.

Korda is at 11-under 133, two shots clear of Mirim Lee, who in turn is two ahead of Lexi Thompson and Nanna Koerstz Madsen.

Korda presents an intimidating target, however, especially with how cleanly she has been hitting the ball. She missed only four greens, and took 26 putts on greens already sun-baked and fast.

“Definitely very happy with my putting and I was superbly happy with bogey-free,” she said.

It’s the first time she takes a 36-hole lead into the weekend at a major. The opening round was her first time leading a major — she opened with a 66 and followed it with a 67 yesterday — while Lee beat her career low at Mission Hills by four shots, shooting a 65 in her seventh appearance at this major.

While Ko struggled, fellow Kiwis Tim Wilkinson and Ryan Fox are in stronger positions on their tours.

Wilkinson is in a tie for 12th at the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open, with his second-round four-under 68 moving him to nine-under, six shots off the lead held by Sam Burns. Burns leads by two strokes from Harry Higgs, who carded a 10-under 62 yesterday.

At the European Tour’s Portugal Masters, Fox is also in a share of 12th, at six-under, after rounds of 67 and 69. Fox’s round was blemished by a double bogey on the 18th hole, but he sits just one shot back from a group of nine players. France’s Julien Guerrier leads by five at 14-under.