Ko quietly confident despite traffic jam disruptions
Lydia Ko calmly negotiated some anxious moments during a challenging second round at the Australian Open in Canberra yesterday to remain in contention for backto-back victories.
A history making winner of the New Zealand Open at Clearwater last Sunday, the 15-year-old Kiwi is set for another tense weekend after maintaining her extraordinary form in the US$1.2 million LGPA Tour-opening event.
She could not reach the lofty heights of Thursday’s career-best 10-under 63 at Royal Canberra, but the world’s leading amateur still produced a high-quality round of four-under 69 in esteemed company.
Ko led Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe by one stroke overnight but the South American’s second bogeyfree round – an impressive sixunder 67 – enabled her to replace the precocious teen as outright leader at the midway point.
The 2007 US Amateur champion avoided the limelight by starting on the back nine but gained prominence when a birdie pushed her in front at 15-under with three holes to play.
A quietly confident Ko is just one shot behind Uribe alongside South Korean Jiyai Shin.
‘‘I played good golf. I’m pretty happy about the last two days and hopefully I can carry that on,’’ she said.
Ko denied feeling added pressure after her stunning opening round, but was mystified by some putts that refused to drop – particularly when birdies loomed on the final two holes.
A logjam from the 13th tee onwards also disrupted her rhythm, but was considered par for the course.
‘‘It’s not something we can control,’’ she shrugged. ‘‘I did a few stretches along the way.’’
Ko faced a four-shot deficit when she teed off in the afternoon alongside her American idol, Michelle Wie, and world No 1 Yani Tseng, as Shin was setting the early benchmark.
Shin constructed the bulk of a cool 67 while Ko was warming up on the practice range to surge into the lead.
The world No 8 made the most of placid morning conditions to post eight birdies and improve to 14-under and then watched from the clubhouse, mainly in trepidation, as the Korean-born Aucklander set about bridging the gap with metronomic efficiency.
Starting on the front nine, Ko recorded consecutive pars before reeling off four birdies in five holes to erase the deficit.
The bespectacled right-hander recorded a staggering 11 birdies and an eagle on Thursday and had beaten par on another four occasions before making the turn in 33.
Ko took the outright lead, albeit briefly, with a birdie on the 12th.
But the tournament’s marquee grouping was then slowed by traffic and irritating delays affected Ko’s concentration.
A heavy 6-iron out the back of the 14th green culminated in her solitary bogey of the round.