Mixed day for Ko

Lydia Ko has endured a rollercoaster time of it in the opening round of her latest LPGA Tour event. The Kiwi golfer reeled off seven birdies but also had four bogeys in her first-up threeunder 69 at the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey yesterday. Ko sits in a share of 22nd place, six shots off the pace set by Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom.

■ Fellow Kiwis Steven Alker and Ryan Fox are both in the hunt after decent first rounds at their respective events. At the PGA Tour Champions’ Regions Tradition tournament in Alabama, Alker, who has won two of his last three events and was tied second in the other, shot a four-under

68. It has him in an eight-way tie for fourth, three shots behind American leader Steve Stricker. Fox’s decent form continued, in patches, with a three-under 68 having him in a 12-way tie for 14th at the Soudal Open in Belgium.