ORLANDO, Fla. — Lake Nona member Lydia Ko shot a 5-under 67 on Friday on the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions to share the second-round lead with Lottie Ward.
Ko, the 2024 event champion and Hilton Grand Holidays ambassador, was the one one among the many 39 feminine gamers who didn’t hit a bogey after two days. The Corridor of Famer has 23 wins on the LPGA Tour.
“I’ve needed to gap some good par putts, however I have never been in that troublesome of a place up to now,” mentioned the New Zealander. “I believe that is why I used to be in a position to go the second spherical with out bogeys. I hope to proceed that good momentum this weekend.”
Ward shot a 69 to match Ko at 8-under 136 in principally sunny situations with afternoon winds blowing as much as 12 mph.
“I appeared on the leaderboard loads as a result of I used to be annoyed at present,” Ward mentioned. “I knew I used to be nonetheless in that vary as a result of it did not look like there have been lots of low scores. I did not have as many birdies as I did yesterday as a result of the pins had been in all probability slightly trickier.”
The 22-year-old British participant gained the ISPS Handa Girls’s Scottish Open simply weeks after profitable the KPMG Girls’s Irish Open as an novice on the European Girls’s Tour final 12 months.
Nasa Hataoka, additionally of Lake Nona, additionally fell behind Amy Yang by one stroke. Hataoka shot a 71 and Yang shot a 69.
Defending champion Ah Lim Kim shot her second 69 to go to six beneath. Hwang Yu-min (67) and Ingrid Lindblad (69) additionally completed at 6 beneath.
Leaders Gino Titicle and Nelly Korda had been at 5 beneath. Sickle had a 72 and Korda had a 71.
“The climate goes to be slightly bit dangerous so I’ll go to the placing inexperienced and go to the apply vary as a result of I did not have the very best shot at present,” Korda mentioned. “I am going to consider a number of issues for the weekend.”
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