Golf: Lydia Ko achieves a stable second round to stay in contention at the PGA Championship

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has achieved a solid second round at the PGA Championship to remain in contention for what would be a major third title.

After opening at a two-under par 68, Ko posted an even par 70 this morning to sit in a tie for sixth place, two shots behind the leader, South Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

It was a remarkably stable round from the two-time main winner with just one birdie and one bogey spread across 16 pairs.

“You just have to be patient, especially in big championships and places like this. I think sometimes your patience runs out and you get frustrated, but doing a lot of pairs here is good,” Ko said.

“Par is a really good score on most of these holes, and when you’re trying to seize opportunities, even if it doesn’t happen very often, you have to try to take advantage of those moments.”

Kim birdied five of the final six holes as darkness fell for 65 under par and the second-round lead. The 27-year-old South Korean finished with a six-under-29 in the first nine holes, tying Karrie Webb (2001) and Sarah Kemp (2011) for the lowest score on nine holes of the event.

Kim, a ten-time LPGA Tour winner, is looking for her first big win. She was runner-up at the 2015 PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018.

The last four tournament winners led or co-managed after 36 holes.
Jennifer Kupcho (65), Danielle Kang (69), Carlota Ciganda (69) and Anna Nordqvist (68) suffered a back blow.

Meanwhile, Ryan Fox is also in contention for the title on the men’s European Tour after posting a two-under-70 in his second round.

Fox couldn’t match the first round fireworks, where he shot a four-under 68 at the Wentworth Golf Club, but still did enough to keep him behind leaders Shane Lowry and Matthew Fitzpatrick at 12 under par.

The lone European Tour winner is now at six under par in the tournament in a tie for 10th place.

Danny Lee posted a par 71 in the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA Tour and missed the cut by five shots.