Lydia Ko Third Heading Into Final Round Of LPGA Tournament

Sunday, 2 February 2025, 9:33 pm
Article: RNZ

RNZ Sport

Dame Lydia Ko is third equal, heading into the final round of the LPGA season-opening Tournament of Champions in Orlando, a title she won last year.

The New Zealander carded a flawless seven-under 65 third round on Sunday NZT to be 11-under, four strokes behind Korean leader A-Lim Kim.

Ko notched seven birdies in her round at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, which bettered her 5-under second round after an indifferent 1-over on the opening day.

She revealed after the second round she had changed from a new putter after the first round to the one she used in winning this tournament last year, and also the Paris Olympics and British Open. She had been bogey-free in the two rounds since the change.

But she still had a big job to overtake Kim, who had been in irrepressible form from the opening round.

Kim's only mistake in the third round was a bogey on the last hole, after an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole and four birdies.

Sweden's Linn Grant birdied the final hole to take second spot off Ko, who was joined by world No 1 Nelly Korda after the American's scorching finish four birdies in the last five holes.

Ko is ranked number two in the world off the back of a stunning 2024, which included the Olympics gold medal, which earned her a place in golf's Hall of Fame and the British Open title.

"I think it's been pretty solid, even the first day I hit the ball decent, just really struggled on the greens," she said after the third round.

"And I think that part of my game has improved the most the last couple of days."

Ko said she felt she played better in the second round despite scoring two strokes lower today.

"Golf is strange, I feel like I technically played better yesterday,'' she said.

"Definitely some momentum going into tomorrow."

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