Ko shares the lead in windy Ohio
LYDIA Ko has shot to the top of the leaderboard at the midway point of the Marathon Classic in Ohio.
The Kiwi world No 1 shot a five-under 66 despite the windy conditions in her second round at the Highland Meadows Golf Club yesterday to sit at eight-under for the tournament.
She shares the lead with overnight leader Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea.
``I think this is the windiest I’ve ever played this course,’’ said Ko. ``In this wind and in the conditions, I feel like my score is a pretty solid one this morning.’’
Ko won in consecutive weeks in Southern California this year, the second the major ANA Inspiration. The 19-year-old tied for third last week in the US Women’s Open in California.
``I started off well with a birdie on my first hole, and then made a clumsy bogey on the next hole,’’ Ko said. ``I hit a few good shots in. I had a few birdies where it was three, four, five feet. When you got those birdie chances makes it a whole lot easier.’’
Ko, who played the back nine first, had a flawless second nine punctuated with birdies on holes one, three and seven.
Ko has a good record at the Marathon Classic, having won the tournament by one shot in 2014 in what was just her second win as a professional.
Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson insists he feels no pressure after continuing his bold bid to become the oldest British Open champion in 149 years.
The swashbuckling American retained the clubhouse lead at 11 under par after the second round but gave his pursuers hope after following up his sizzling 63 with a 69 on a day of contrasting fortunes for the world’s elite golfers.
The leaderboard remained unchanged for five hours as the early starters gained a huge advantage over the field at windswept Royal Troon yesterday.
Mickelson is one stroke ahead of Swede Henrik Stenson, who rammed home eight birdies in a six-under 65 playing alongside Adam Scott, whose scrappy 73 left Australia’s frontrunner a distant 10 shots off the pace.
Dane Soren Kjeldsen and Mickelson’s countryman Keegan Bradley are one shot further back after each carding 68s.
Mickelson, 46, remains on track to become the oldest Open winner since Old Tom Morris in 1867.
‘‘I don’t feel the pressure like GETTY IMAGES probably a lot of players do to try to win the Claret Jug because I’ve already won it,’’ Mickelson said.
‘‘That takes a lot of pressure off me. The desire to capture that Claret Jug puts a lot of pressure on.
‘‘The fact I’ve done it relieves some of that. I would love to add to it, but having already done that was big.’’
Kiwi golfers Danny Lee and Steven Alker will not play the weekend.
Lee carded a six-over 77 to follow his seven-over 78 in the first round to finish at 13-over for the tournament, better than only seven other golfers, while Alker followed his two-over first round with a four-over 75 to sit at sixover.
Meanwhile, Kiwi Tim Wilkinson missed the cut at the latest PGA Tour event in Alabama.
He finished his first two rounds at one-over, with the cut at two-under he will not be playing this weekend.