Golf: Ko flying in Florida

Lydia Ko has been rock-solid at the LPGA's Coates Golf Championship in Florida. Photo / AP

Lydia Ko's back nine birdie blitz has pushed her to the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the Coates Golf Championship on the LPGA Tour in Florida.

Ko fired a seven-under 65 today, which included five straight birdies from holes 12-16, as she moved to 14-under for the week, one stroke ahead of Korea's Ha Na Jang (-13). Korean Na Yeon Choi is in third at 12-under.

Ko, 17, also made four birdies on the front nine as part of a strong round at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club.

The Kiwi won last year's Race to the CME Globe during her rookie year on the LPGA Tour and she is looking like making a strong start to her 2015 campaign.

After this week's event she will head to the Bahamas and then play in Melbourne before contesting the New Zealand Women's Open at Clearwater in Christchurch from February 27-March 1.

At qualifying school on the PGA Tour China, Kiwis Ben Campbell and Josh Geary have earned their tour cards after the four-round event at Shenzhen Guangdong CTS Tycoon Golf Club D&Y Course.

Campbell finished in a share of 10th yesterday at three-over for the week, while Geary was in a tie for 13th at four-over and they both squeezed inside the top 15, which gave them their playing rights for the year.

Kiwi Daniel Pearce finished in a share of 23rd at eight-over and earned conditional playing rights, while Steve Tan and Sean Tan missed out.

Meanwhile, Danny Lee and Tim Wilkinson have both missed the cut at the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour in Arizona.

Lee fired a one-under 70 during his second round today but yesterday's six-over 77 proved costly, while Wilkinson never got going as his three-over 74 today followed a one-over 72. Fellow Kiwi Steven Alker didn't play this week.