NEW ZEALAND WOMEN'S OPEN REPORT AND SCORES

LYDIA KO BEATS THE BUG TO BE IN 

SECOND PLACE AFTER TWO ROUNDS

               Tournament leader Anya Alvarez with her caddie during the second round

 FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Christchurch, New Zealand: After an awful bout of gastro-illness Lydia Ko considered withdrawing from the ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open on Friday night (local time) in Christchurch.  
Almost a day later she was fronting media after another remarkable round – a three-under par 69 at the Clearwater Golf Club – that sees her only two shots back from the leader American Anya Alvarez as she looks to defend her title.

Ko visited the local hospital when she was violently ill with a stomach bug and she was low on energy today (Saturday) after not eating a meal for almost 24 hours.  

“I was really sick overnight,” said the World No.4 who was clearly jaded. 

“At one point I was going to withdraw but luckily I didn’t. It was a stomach bug and I went to the hospital this morning. They said it was something to do with my guts, they said that there was more wind in there than normal. I don’t really know.”

If they didn’t look closely – Ko wasn’t her chipper self - the local golf fans wouldn’t have known anything was wrong as she got to a six-under par total.

Only one shot back are American Beth Allen (68) and South Koreans Baek, Kyu Jung Baek (69) and Seon Woo Bae (71) but Ko who once again attracted the lion’s share of the 3891 gallery at the golf course.   

She got off to a slow start but she got into her work with three birdies in four holes midway on the front nine. Suddenly the marketing campaign around the Kiwi of ‘Here We Ko Again’ looked likely. 

No one really knew how hard Ko was fighting to stay in contention.

“I thought that I would chop it out there today. But I gave myself some birdie opportunities and when I did I got most of them so I am pretty happy.”

Also pretty happy in the media centre was Alvarez. The 24-year-old from Oklahoma, who has conditional status on the LPGA Tour in 2014, leads the final round of a tournament for the first time.

“I have never led a tournament before so this is pretty exciting,” she said.

“But l have to keep my head in the game. I have 18 more holes to play tomorrow and I have worked really hard and I am very happy to finally be in this position.”

Alvarez said she took advantage of most of the opportunities she had.

“I think the most important thing that I did today was stay calm even when I could feel I was getting excited that I was playing well. I kept telling myself you have another hole to go the round is not over yet and to stay focused.

The leader, who has a teaching professional as a father, wouldn’t be getting in touch with her old man tonight.

“I try not to talk to my Dad too much during golf tournaments but he knows a lot about my golf swing. He knows a lot about my golf swing and he knows how to say the right things at the right time to keep me encouraged.”

She is not sure how she will handle the pressure of playing in the final group with Ko and all the fanfare that goes along with that but she is excited to find out.

“I like playing in front of people…I just hope that they are kind enough to cheer for me when I hit a good shot too. [laughs] It will be fun tomorrow. I feel like I am ready to play really good golf.

Ko is two shots back from Alvarez but she is feeling comfortable with her position.

“Two shots can happen over a hole. You know you can make a birdie and they can make a bogey and that is two shots right there. I am just going to play my own game. She seems like she is playing really well. Obviously I am going to try my best to win.”

The 16-year-old from Gulf Harbour Country Club hasn’t thought too much yet about the prospect of defending her National Open.

“Maybe tomorrow [I will] if I do get really close, if I am in that position and I am leading. I just want to feel better.

Ko believed her experience of closing out a golf tournament and playing under pressure should work in her favour.

“I don’t know how many people followed her today but I just want to concentrate on my game. If one of the people I am playing against feels pressure then I can’t do anything about it. I don’t know if that is called an advantage keeping to your own strengths and playing your own game.

Ko was looking forward to going home to “chill out” and hopefully eat something ahead of the final round tomorrow where she’ll play in the final group at 11:55am alongside Alvarez. 

“I think keeping the energy levels is going to be hard because I don’t want to eat too much or too much rich stuff. I just want to start tomorrow really refreshed and relaxed.”

A total of 54 players made the two-round cut at a two-over par of 146 and three Kiwis make the final round in Cathryn Bristow, Caroline Bon and Ko.
Those who missed the cut included the first-round leader Stacey Tate from New Zealand. She slumped from a first-day 68 to a second-round for 81 for 147 and missed out by one.
SCROLL DOWN FOR A REPORT ABOUT
THE SCOTS IN THE NZ WOMEN'S OPEN

 
ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Clearwater GC, Christchurch
Par 144 (2x72)

136 Anya Alvarez (USA)  70 66 138 Lydia Ko (NZL)  69 69
139 Kyu-Jung Baek (SKOR)  70 69, Beth Allen (USA)  71 68, Seonwoo Bae (SKOR)  68 71
140 Hyun Soo Kim (SKOR)  74 66, Jessica Speechley (AUS)  70 70

142 Ae Young Shin (KOR)  70 72, Eleanor Givens (ENG)  73 69, Sally Watson (SCO)  72 70, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  71 71, Jing Yan (CHN)  73 69, Kristie Smith (AUS)  70 72, Marta Silva Zamora (ESP)  72 70, Charley Hull (ENG)  69 73

143 Vikki Laing (SCO)  71 72, Stacey Keating (AUS)  71 72, Cathryn Bristow (NZL)  72 71, Lindsey Wright (AUS)  73 70, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  69 74, Marion Ricordeau (FRA)  74 69

144 Hyeji Lee (SKOR)  69 75, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  73 71, Caroline Martens (NOR)  71 73, Mi Hyang Lee (SKOR)  72 72, Mireia Prat (ESP)  73 71, Jean Chua (MYS)  71 73, Christel Boeljon (NED)  72 72, Nikki Campbell (AUS)  72 72, Trish Johnson (ENG)  74 70, Shelly Shin (AUS)  76 68, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  74 70

145 Cecilia Cho (SKOR)  73 72, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  74 71, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  72 73, Stephanie Na (AUS)  72 73, So Young2 Kim (SKOR)  73 72, Bree Arthur (AUS)  75 70, Breanna Elliott (AUS)  75 70, Hannah Burke (ENG)  73 72

146 Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)  71 75, Alison Whitaker (AUS)  75 71, Danielle Montgomery (ENG)  72 74, Viva Schlasberg (SWE)  72 74, Yu Yang Zhang (CHN)  77 69, Pamela Pretswell (SCO)  78 68, Caroline Bon (NZL)  71 75, Laura Davies (ENG)  72 74, Corie Hou (AUS)  73 73, Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS)  69 77, Melissa Reid (ENG)  72 74, Keiko Kubo (JPN)  73 73, Lorie Kane (CAN)  74 72, Xi Yu Lin (CHN)  74 72

MISSED THE CUT
147 - Maria Salinas (PER)  73 74, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  70 77, Julianne Alvarez (NZL)  73 74, Elissa-Jayne Orr (AUS)  72 75, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  74 73, Mianne Bagger (DEN)  74 73, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  74 73, Michele Thomson (SCO)  70 77

148 - Frances Bondad (AUS)  73 75, Georgina Simpson (ENG)  77 71, Munchin Keh (NZL)  73 75, Cheyenne Woods (USA)  77 71, Lauren Mielbrecht (USA)  74 74, Joanna Klatten (FRA)  73 75, Daniela Holmqvist (SWE)  74 74, Bree Turnbull (AUS)  75 73, Amelia Lewis (USA)  75 73, Ji Young Lee (SKOR)  75 73, Chloe Leurquin (BEL)  74 74

149 - Jiae Hwang (SKOR)  77 72, Stacey Tate (NZL)  68 81, Tamie Durdin (AUS)  71 78, Fabienne In-albon (SUI)  74 75, Kylie Walker (SCO)  73 76, Ashley Ona (AUS)  74 75, Jenna Hunter (NZL)  77 72, Rebecca Codd (IRL)  72 77, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  73 76

150 - Josephine Janson (SWE)  73 77, Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP)  76 74, Lita Guo (NZL)  80 70, Ashlee Dewhurst (AUS)  77 73, Liz Young (ENG)  72 78, Minea Blomqvist (FIN)  76 74, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  71 79, Hanna Seifert (NZL)  76 74, Louise Larsson (SWE)  70 80

151 - Sarah King (AUS)  73 78, Wenyung Keh (NZL)  78 73, Emily Perry (NZL)  72 79, Connie Chen (RSA)  77 74

152 - Katie Futcher (USA)  77 75, Jody Fleming (AUS)  77 75, Karis Davidson (AUS)  74 78, Vicky Thomas (AUS)  78 74, Nicole Garcia (RSA)  79 73, Sophie Gustafson (SWE)  79 73, Mia Piccio (PHL)  74 78, Whitney Hillier (AUS)  74 78

153 - Brittany Bomar (USA)  78 75, Chantelle Cassidy (NZL)  75 78, Becky Brewerton (WAL)  75 78, Jia Yun Li (CHN)  80 73

154 - Ju Eun Ha (KOR)  77 77, Ginny Brown (USA)  75 79, Katy Jarochowicz (AUS)  79 75, Noriko Kubo (JPN)  79 75

155 - Amelia Garvey (NZL)  76 79, Charlotte Thompson (ENG)  75 80

156 - Sai Ma (NZL)  76 80, Adriana Brent (AUS)  75 81, Rebecca Green (AUS)  79 77

157 - Kyla Inaba (CAN)  77 80, Julia Boland (AUS)  80 77, Lauren Hibbert (AUS)  79 78

158 - Lucy Williams (ENG)  81 77

159 - Carly Booth (SCO)  79 80, Tania Tare (NZL)  81 78

160 - Brydie Hodge (NZL)  84 76

162 - Tyler Kingi (NZL)  79 83

163 - Phillis Meti (NZL)  79 84

164 - Vanessa Bouvet (NZL)  82 82

168 - Jana Welsford (AUS)  84 84

169 - Nicky Henderson (AUS)  84 85