LYDIA KO (14) SHARING LEAD IN NEW ZEALAND WOMEN'S OPEN

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Super-teen golfer Lydia Ko has battled her way into contention going into Sunday’s final round of the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open hosted by Christchurch.
The 14-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander (pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency), one of the smallest in the field, braved the blustery winds best to shoot a three-under-par 69 and move into a six-way share of the lead at six under par at the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club.
Ko, who opened with a three under par 69, was four under for her round and the outright leader at seven under par before she made a bogey at the penultimate hole and then made par on 18 to sign for a 69.
“The goal for today was five under but I don’t feel like I didn’t achieve what I wanted to because I played good and I putted good so I am happy,” said the North Shore golfer.
Almost 4,000 local golf fans came out to watch the tournament today with the World No.1 amateur once again attracting the lion’s share of the gallery. She didn’t disappoint as she opened with a birdie. Ko went on to make a bogey on three and then made birdies on four, five, 11 and 13 before dropping the shot at the last.
The biggest roar on the day came when she made a fine two on the par 3 11th. “In my mind it was just a par hole so if you make birdie then you are a genius so when it went in I was like “Woah”,” said Ko in her humble way. Players took advantage of the still morning conditions to move up the leaderboard, headed by the trio of Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe, Australia’s Kent-born Lindsey Wright and former Northlander Haeji Kang (South Korea) to share the clubhouse lead on six-under par, as the winds picked up early in the afternoon with strong southerlies proving a challenge.
Three other players - Ko, irish-born former US Curtis Cup player Alison Walshe (70) and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (69) - handled those conditions superbly to make six players tied for the lead.
Earlier Uribe and Wright both shot rounds of four-under 68 while Kang managed a second successive three-under 69.
Colombian Mariajo Uribe Uribe, 21, is a former US Amateur champion who is currently playing on the LPGA Tour, at one stage had moved to a two shot lead before dropping shots at the final two holes when the winds grew in strength.
Wright is also on the LPGA and was ranked as high as No 12 in the world three years ago before taking a break and renewing her passion for the game. The pair fought out a duel down the stretch in the LPGA event in Brazil last year with the Colombian prevailing with a late birdie.
“I was trying to think about the positive things about finishing with two birdies. That happened in Brazil when I won. I was thinking the same people are in contention,” said Uribe.
“Lindsey Wright is so nice and I am such a good friend of her so it would be cool to play together. “It is going to be fun. This course is interesting with the wind. It makes it tough. Even if it is windy you are playing with the same people you are contending with at the same time.”
Wright had to play “the best shot of her life” to remain in contention after an eagle from the rough on the par-4 sixth hole. “I hit it right of the bunker on six and it got stuck in the grass. I went ‘b-----’. I had 128 yards to the hole and had a little seven iron. It was the best shot I ever played. And then it went in. That was a real bonus because I was thinking about if I could even make par.”
Kang is playing back in New Zealand for the first time in since spending three years in Northland as a young teenager. Kang’s family moved to New Zealand for her education and her golf, before moving to Australia to further develop her game. She turned professional three years ago, graduating from the Futures Tour to the LPGA after just one year.
“It is great to be back in New Zealand. It’s the first time in seven years. I really enjoyed my time here and I still love the place. It was good to meet with Caroline Bon who I played representative golf with for Northland. I still regard myself as a New Zealander and feel at home here.”
The attention tomorrow will be on young Ko as she tries to make more golf history. One of the youngest winners in pro golf history at the New South Wales Open three weeks ago, she is hoping that the inclement weather arrives tomorrow as she plays her best golf in the wind.
“At Royal Melbourne [last week] it was windy the last two days and they were my best two scores. I will just play my game. I will try and hit the fairways and hopefully a few more putts will drop. It should be fun.”
The two-round cut for the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open hosted by Christchurch of the top 50 and ties fell at three over par 147. Vikki Laing (75-145) was the only Scot to beat the cut.
Kylie Walker (74-149) and Clare Queen (71-151) missed out.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
138 Haeji Kang (SKOR) 69 69, Carlota Ciganda (SPA69 69, Lydia Ko (NZ)  (am) 69 69, Lyndsey Wright (AUS) 70 68, Alison Walshe (US) 68 70, Mariajo Uribe (COL) 70 68
139 Julia Boland (AUS) 71 68, Lorie Kane (CAN) 72 67, Stephanie Na (AUS) 70 69, Cindy Lacrosse (US) 72 67, Gerina Piller (US) 68 71
140 Cara Freeman (US) 70 70, Danielle Kang (US) 68 72
141 Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) 71 70, Kris Tamulis (US) 70 71, Sarah Oh (AUS) 69 72, Beth Allen (US) 70 71
142 Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 70 72, Jaclyn Sweeney (US) 68 74, Cecilia Cho (NZ) (am) Rachel Jennings (ENG) 72 70, Grace Lennon (AUS) 70 72, Jessica Speechley (AUS) 69 73, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 67 75, Alison Whitaker (AUS) 74 68, Amelia Lewis (US) 68 74
143 Emily Perry (NZ) 67 76, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 68 75, Bree Arthur (AUS) 74 69, Frances Bondad (AUS) 72 71, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 70 73, Kristie Smith (AUS) 71 72, Mo Martin (USA) 76 67, Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 67 76, Sydnee Michaels (US) 73 70, Irene Cho (US) 71 72
144 Laura Diaz (US) 71 73, Jane Kim (AUS) 71 73, Kym Larratt (ENG) 67 77, Meredith Duncan (US) 70 74, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 72 72, Hannah Yun (US) 68 76
145 Cathryn Bristow (NZ) 72 73, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 73 72, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 73 72, Karen Lunn (AUS) 73 72, Vikki Laing (SCO) 70 75, Sara Brown (US) 70 75
146 Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 73 73, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 71 75, Susan Farron (NZ) 74 72, Whitney Hillier (AUS) 74 72, Caroline Bon (NZ) 73 73
147 Valentine Derrey (FRA) 76 71, Danah Bordner (US) 72 75, Jodi Ewart (ENG) 76 71, Minsun Kim (SKOR) 75 72, Charlie Douglass (ENG) 71 76

MISSED THE CUT
148 Jean Chua (MYS) 68 80, Heather Bowie Young (US) 74 74, Kendall Dye (US) 73 75
149 Tamara Johns (AUS) 74 75, Kylie Walker (SCO) 75 74, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 69 80, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 73 76, Sharmila Nicollet (IN) 78 71, Sarah Bradley (NZ) 77 72, Chantelle Cassidy (NZ) 75 74, Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 78 71
150 Karlin Beck (US) 76 74, Kathlyn Ekey (US) 74 76, Connie Chen (SAF) 74 76
151 Su-Ann Heng (SGP) 75 76, Ayaka Kaneko (JPN) 74 77, Stephanie Kirchmayr (GER) 75 76, Laurette Maritz (SAF) 79 72, Clare Queen (SCO) 80 71, Line Vedel (DEN) 79 72
152 Mianne Bagger (DEN) 72 80, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 78 74, Danielle Montgomery (ENG) 75 77, Vicky Thomas (AUS) 82 70, Gina Scott (NZ) 79 73
153 Courtney Massey (AUS) 78 75, Hei-Ji Kim (SKOR) 77 76, Katelyn Must (AUS) 77 76, Liz McKinnon (NZ) 75 78, Emily Mclennan (AUS) 75 78
155 Sunny Park (AUS) 76 79, Jody Fleming (AUS) 77 78, Caroline Martens (NOR) 73 82, Jiyoon Jin (SKOR) 79 76, Heather MacRae (SCO) 77 78
156 Zoe Brake (NZ) 77 79, Se-Hee Woo (SKOR) 82 74, Sarah King (AUS) 81 75
157 Sylvie Williams (NZ) 82 75, Julianne Alvarez (NZ) 77 80
158 Joanne Mills (AUS) 82 76, Jenna Hunter (NZ) 80 78, Julie Tvede (DEN) 79 79
162 Corie Hou (AUS) 84 78
165 Phyllis Meti (NZ) 85 80, Brittany Bomar (US) 79 86
173 Bree Turnbull (AUS) 81 92, Georgia Wayman (NZ) 83 90