12 Sep 2015

Ko well-placed in France

12:34 pm on 12 September 2015

The New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko has climbed from a share of 12th to a tie for fifth following the second round at the LPGA Tour's final major of the year, the Evian Championship in France.

The New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko.

The New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The 18-year-old carded a two under par 69 to move to four under for the tournament, five shots behind the leader South Korea's Mi-Hyang Lee.

Mi-Hyang added a 67 to her opening 66 to take the outright halfway lead on 133, nine under par.

The 22-year-old, who won her first LPGA event at the Mizuno Classic in Japan at the end of last season, led by one from American Morgan Pressel and by two from Denmark's Nicole Broch Larsen, winner of last week's Helsingborg Open.

"Winning in Japan was pretty big," said Lee. "It was in a play-off so that was a big experience. After that tournament there has been a good change in my golf."

Lee has also recently called on experience by hiring a new caddie, Mike Carrick. "I'm a young player and he's pretty old," said the youngster. "He's 69, the oldest on Tour so he has lots of knowledge."

Pressel carded the best round of the week, a six-under-par 65, as she set about adding a second major to the Kraft Nabisco Championship she won as an 18-year-old in 2007.

It's five years since Pressel won on the LPGA Tour, but she hit form with eight birdies, including a couple from within two feet.

"I had a really good three days last week with my coach Ron Stockton back home and I just really prepared for these two weeks," said Pressel, who will be in Team USA for the Solheim Cup starting in Germany a week tomorrow.

"I've tried to stay positive. This is my tenth year here and I just hope to keep playing the same way over the weekend. I'll try and battle it out over the next two days."

American Lexi Thompson, joint leader with Lee after the opening round, could only manage a one-over-par 72 and was five off the lead, alongside world No.2 Ko.

The teenage New Zealander is trying to replace Pressel as the youngest-ever winner of a women's major, and she goes into the weekend five off the lead.

Wearing tape on her knee and ankle - "I turned my ankle walking down the 14th yesterday, but it's not sore enough to bother me" - Ko dropped a shot at the last for a second successive 69.

World No.1 Park In-Bee, who has won two majors this year, also shot 69 but has eight shots to make up to catch Lee.