Kiwi teen sensation Lydia Ko has grabbed a share of the lead heading into Sunday's third and final round of the ISPS Handa New Zeland Open.
The 14-year-old Kiwi of Korean origin, still an amateur and one of the smallest in the field, took on and mastered strong, blustery winds at the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club in Christchurch on Saturday to shoot a 3-under 69 and move into a share of the lead at 6-under.
Ko is tied with five other golfers at the top of the log-jammed leaderboard, including Columbian Mariajo Uribe, a 21-year-old former US Women's Amateur champion now playing as a professional on the LPGA Tour, Australian
Linsdsey Wright, who like Uribe, shot a second-round, days-best 68, Korean Haeji Kang (69), American Alison Walshe (70) and Spain's Carlota Ciganda (69).
Ko, unbowed by her tender years and lack of experience of professional golf, actually held the sole lead at seven under par before she made bogey at the penultimate hole and could only finish with a par.
Her goal for the day had been five and although she couldn't achieve in the adverse conditions she said: 'I didn't feel like I didn't achieve what I wanted because I played good and I putted good so I am happy,"
Almost 4,000 local golf supporters turned out to watch the tournament on Saturday with the teenaged women World No 1 amateur once more attracting the largest galleries.
And she didn't disappoint them when she opened with a birdie.
She went onto make a bogey on three, but bounced back immediately with birdies on four, five, 11 and 13 before dropping a second shot at 17.
The early starters took advantage of the still morning air to make a charge up the leaderboard, none nore so than Uribe, Wright and Kang, three of the six who would be tied for the lead at the day's end.
Earlier Uribe and Wright both shot rounds of four-under 68 today while Kang managed a second successive three-under 69.
Uribe at one stage had moved in to a two-shot lead but dropped shots at the final two holes when the wind started to blow strongly.
When Uribe and Wright also fought it out going down the final stretch at the LPGA event in Brazil last year, it was Colombian who prevailed with a late birdie.
Wright, meanewhile, had to play what she described as "the best shot of my life" to remain in contention with 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 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 had been wondering if I could even make par."
Kang is back in New Zealand for the first time since spending three years in Northland as a young teenager.
Kang's family moved to New Zealand for her education and her golf, before moving on to Australia to further develop her game. She turned professional three years ago, graduating from the Futures Tour to the LPGA Tour after just one year.
"It is great to be back in New Zealand. It's the first time in seven years. I really enjoyed my time here and I still love the place," she said.
In the meantine Ko, The youngest winner in pro golf history, is hoping that the inclement weather arrives tomorrow as she believes she is at her competitive best in the wind.
"At Royal Melbourne [last week] it was windy the last two days and they were my best two scores. 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."
golf365.com