World No. 1 Lydia Ko fired six birdies in a five-under-par 66 on Friday to grab a share of the lead in the LPGA Marathon Classic at the halfway mark alongside Kim Hyo-joo.
South Korea’s Kim, one of three players sharing the overnight lead, had four birdies in her three-under 68 to join Ko on eight-under 134 after two rounds at the Highland Meadows course in Sylvania, Ohio.
Ko, who won the title here in 2014 for her second win as a professional, opened with a birdie at the 10th hole. A bogey at 11 was followed by birdies at 14 and 17, and she birdied three holes on her inward run.
Photo: AFP
“I started off well with a birdie on my first hole and then made a clumsy bogey on the next hole,” Ko said. “I had a few birdies where it was three, four, five feet. When you’ve got those birdie chances, it makes it a whole lot easier.”
She was pleased to have taken advantage of her chances, especially since the rising wind made things tougher on her last nine.
“No. 9, I don’t think I’ve ever come into that green with a six-iron,” said the New Zealander, who barely got the ball on the green for a closing par.
Ko, whose back-to-back wins in California this year included her second major title at the ANA Inspiration, said her round was not much different from her opening 68.
“I think I had a few more looks for birdies and a few that decided to drop. Even today I had a few that were so close to going in and didn’t drop, I felt like I did leave a few out there,” she said. “In this wind, I feel like my score is a pretty solid one.”
She and Kim, who opened the season with a win in the Bahamas, were one stroke in front of South Korea’s Jang Ha-na and American Alison Lee.
Lee birdied her last two holes to cap a 66, while Jang signed for a 67 that included four birdies and no bogeys.
“Really good play today,” said Jang, a two-time winner this season who said patience paid off.
“Just target the middle of the green, because this golf course has really small greens,” she said.
Two Taiwanese were still in play on Friday. Cheng Ssu-chia was tied for 30th on one-under overall — seven shots off the lead — after shooting a 69 to go with her opening-round 72, while Min Lee was in a share of 66th at two-over with a pair of 72s.
Hsu Wei-ling (70 and 78) and Amy Hung (75 and 77) missed the cut.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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