Golf: Ko well-positioned in Canada

Lydia Ko chips onto the first green during the second round of the LPGA's Canadian Open. Photo / AP

Lydia Ko will head to the weekend four shots off the lead as she attempts to claim a fourth Canadian Pacific Women's Open title.

The three-time winner of the tournament - twice as an amateur and last year as a professional - mixed five birdies and two bogeys in her second-round 69, heading into moving day on eight-under and in a share of fourth.

After opening with an impressive five-under in a weather-interrupted first round, the defending champion missed a few putts on the sloping greens in Calgary and was hoping for more to fall as she sets about overhauling leader Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.

"I played pretty solid the last few days," Ko said. "Hoped for a few more putts to drop, but it's just really tough out there with some pins being tucked and on little slopes. There's still a lot of golf to be played."

Ko came into the event after claiming silver last week at the Rio Olympics and, with winner Inbee Park bypassing the event, has a golden chance of going one better.

That quest began well yesterday with a birdie on the second and, after making bogey on the eighth, the defending champion went on a birdie blitz, making four in a row to keep pace with Jutanugarn before dropping a shot on the 14th.

The Thai, meanwhile, began the day on four-under but unleashed a blistering second round, making eight birdies to move three shots clear of second-placed In Gee Chun. Jutanugarn won the Women's British Open in the event before the Olympics for her fourth victory of the year, having won three straight tournaments in May to share the tour victory lead with the top-ranked Ko.

Meanwhile, Danny Lee missed the cut at The Barclays tournament on the US PGA Tour, with the Kiwi carding a second-round 73 to miss the weekend by two shots. Patrick Reed strengthened his case for a spot on the US Ryder Cup team by holding a two-shot lead over the field at the halfway mark.