Kiwis eye titles in Australia
KIWI GOLFERS are poised for a significant Australian double today, with Lydia Ko and Ryan Fox both hunting wins.
Young professional Fox leads the Queensland PGA Championship after 54 holes while Ko is tied for third heading into the final round of the women’s Australia Open.
Ko is two strokes behind Korean leader Chella Choi, who is on 13-under par, and had it not been for two bogeys around the turn yesterday, Ko would have been tied at the top with Choi.
After opening rounds of 68, Ko posted 69 yesterday at Victoria Golf Club, getting off to a quick start with birdies at the first, third and sixth holes.
Dropped shots at the 10th and 12th stalled Ko’s round, until she sprang into life spectacularly on the 17th.
Laying up on the par five, Ko holed a nine-iron from the fairway for an eagle three to halve the defi-
I had a couple of hiccups making two bogeys, but then I made eagle on 17, I gave myself a good run at it. Lydia Ko
cit between herself and Choi.
After the round Ko acknowledged what could have been yesterday, pointing to the twin bogeys and a number of putts which didn’t drop.
‘‘I had a couple of hiccups making two bogeys, but then I made eagle on 17, I gave myself a good run at it,’’ Ko said.
‘‘I had a lot of lip-outs the whole day.’’
Meanwhile, Fox fired his third straight round in the 60s yesterday at City Golf Club in Victoria to lead the Queensland PGA.
After rounds of 61, 67 and 64, the Aucklander has a one-shot lead over Australian Anthony Summers on 18 under par.
Australia’s Stephen Dartnell is a further shot adrift and Brad Kennedy is three back of Fox, in what is shaping up to be a four-horse race for the title, between a Kiwi and three home hopes.
Finally, on the domestic Charles Tour, Hawkes Bay professional Doug Holloway birdied the final two holes at the Manawatu Golf Club yesterday to claim a one-shot lead at the LawnMaster Classic.
The 30- year- old, who opened with rounds of 67 and 68 to begin the day with a four-shot lead, was put under pressure by Southland amateur Vaughan McCall and South Korean professional Dongwoo Kang and lost his lead midway through the third round.
But the four-time winner on The Charles Tour rallied to birdie three of his last four holes to sign for a one- under par 71, to get to 10-under par and be one ahead of New Zealand No 1 McCall ( 67) with Kang (70) three shots back in third place.