Lydia Ko. Photo /Getty Images
Most golfers don't like the wind. Lydia Ko is hoping today's final round of the New Zealand Open has more wind and rough weather after the world's No 1 amateur posted a three under par 69 to be in a six-way share of the lead.
The-14-year old, the youngest and smallest in the field, coped with the afternoon's blustery winds best to shoot a 69 to match her opening-round score at the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club near Christchurch. She was four under for her round and the outright leader at seven under before she made a bogey at the penultimate hole.
The tiny Ko said after her round yesterday: "At Royal Melbourne [last week] it was windy the last two days and they were my best two scores," she said. "I will just play my game. I will try and hit the fairways and hopefully a few more putts will drop. It should be fun."
"The goal for today was five under but I don't feel like I didn't achieve what I wanted to - because I played good and I putted good so I am happy," the North Shore golfer said. Nearly 4000 fans came out to watch the tournament yesterday with Ko once again attracting the biggest galleries. She didn't disappoint as she mixed five birdies with two bogeys.
Several players took advantage of the still morning conditions to move up the leaderboard, headed by the trio of Colombia's Mariajo Uribe (68), Australia's Lindsey Wright (68) and former Northlander Haeji Kang (Korea, 69) to share the clubhouse lead on six-under par. Strong southerlies picked up early in the afternoon.
Three other players Ko, American Alison Walshe (70) and Spain's Carlota Ciganda (69) handled those conditions superbly to make six players tied for the lead. Earlier, Uribe and Wright both shot rounds of four-under 68 while Kang managed a second successive three-under 69.
Uribe, a former US amateur champion currently playing on the LPGA Tour, at one stage had moved to a two-shot lead before dropping shots at the final two holes when the winds grew in strength.
"I was trying to think about the positive things about finishing with two bogeys. That happened in Brazil when I won. I was thinking the same people are in contention," Uribe said.
"Lindsey Wright is so nice and I am such a good friend of hers so it would be cool to play together. It is going to be fun. This course is interesting with the wind. It makes it tough."
Wright had to play "the best shot of her life" to remain in contention after an eagle from the rough on the par-4 sixth hole.
"I hit it right of the bunker on six and it got stuck in the grass. I went 'bugger'. I had 128 yards to the hole and had a little seven iron. It was the best shot I ever played. And then it went in. That was a real bonus because I was thinking about if I could even make par."
Meanwhile, Kang is playing in New Zealand for the first time since spending three years in Northland as a teenager.