Golf: Mixed fortunes for Kiwi golfers

Ryan Fox. Photo / Getty

A triple bogey has curtailed Ryan Fox's chances of contending at the prestigious BMW International Open on the European Tour.

New Zealand's sole representative on the European Tour, Fox was in the hunt after a first round four-under 68 saw him settled inside the top 20.

Fox came out firing in the second round, at one stage moving into a share of second after three birdies in his first eight holes.

However, a horror triple bogey at the par-five ninth started Fox's slide, with three consecutive bogies on the back nine resulting in a round of 75, and a drop back into a tie for 64th.

Fox is now eight shots of the lead shared by Sweden's Joakim Lagergren and France's Joel Salter, while recent major champions Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson sit one shot off the pace.

Despite the setback, Fox snuck inside the cut line to make his third consecutive cut, and the weekend holds significance for the 30-year-old.

The tournament has a purse of two million euros, meaning Fox can still earn a handy payday with a solid final two rounds, as well as important points to go towards retaining his European Tour status for next season.

Elsewhere, female world number two Lydia Ko has made a solid start at the Arkansas Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Ko, who returned to action last week after a three week break, shot a one-under par 70 to sit in a share of 53rd at the three-round event.

It was a mixed day for 20-year-old, who carded four birdies and three bogeys. She played well on the par threes, but struggled with her putter, requiring 30 putts.

World number one Ariya Jutanugarn is not playing in the tournament, but world number three So Yeon Ryu sits in a share of second at six-under.

At the Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, Kiwi Danny Lee is amongst the chasing pack, in a share of eighth at five-under. Lee sits three shots behind Jordan Spieth, carding a three-under 67 in his second round, mixing five birdies with two bogies to move up 29 places on the leaderboard.

His counterpart Tim Wilkinson also went low to make the cut, with a bogey-free four-under 66 vaulting him 68 places into a share of 43rd at two-under. Fellow New Zealander Steven Alker missed the cut by seven strokes.