Double bogey costly for Ko
Lydia Ko has combined her best and worst to remain in contention at the halfway point of the Honda LPGA Thailand.
A five-under-par 67 has lifted Ko to a threeway tie for fourth with Nanna Koerstz Madsen and the big mover of the day, Mexican Gaby Lopez, who shot an eightunder 64 to dramatically charge up the leaderboard at the Siam Country Club.
The trio sit at 11-under at the halfway stage of the tournament, five shots behind outright leader Patty Tavatanakit.
Three birdies in her first four holes thrust Ko into a share of the lead for a short time – with overnight leaders Atthaya Thitikul and Tavatanakit – yesterday until a double bogey on the par-four fifth dropped her back behind the frontrunners.
Ko made a strong start in the opening round to be just two shots from the lead overnight.
Yesterday, she recovered from the double bogey with a birdie on the par-five seventh to be two-under for the day through the front nine and eight-under for the tournament.
Ko was again looking good on the back nine with birdies on the par-five 10th and parthree 12th – for the second time in the tournament – but dropped a shot on the par-four 13th.
From there she salvaged things nicely with a birdie on the par-four 15th and for the second straight day finished on a high with a birdie on the par-five 18th.
Thitikul holds outright second at 13-under ahead of Germany’s Caroline Masson who is just one shot back and alone in third.
Meanwhile, Kiwi golfer Danny Lee withdrew before the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina yesterday due to a back injury.