Lydia Ko makes very few mistakes. She’s a plodder and the best putter in women’s golf.
Add those ingredients and she’ll be very hard to beat Sunday when they play the finale of the Ladies PGA Championship at difficult, tree-lined Sahalee.
Ko shot 70 on Saturday and is two-under par, a shot in front of Gerina Piller and Brittany Lincicome. She’s only two in front of a half dozen players that include last week’s winner Anna Nordqvist and Ariya Jutanugarn, winner of her last three events. There’s also Amy Yang, who put together the best round of the week, a five-under par 66 that put her in solid contention.
It will be a tall task for all the contenders as they try and chase down the world’s No. 1 player. “Just trying to keep it in the fairway. With the lush rough, that’s what you have to do,” said Ko after she finished. “I had calm and positive thoughts out there. Just go out and enjoy the round and concentrate on the shot I need to hit. I can’t control what anyone else is doing.”
What Ko is able to do is make very few mistakes and that is the name of the game at Sahalee. Towering trees hug the fairways, making for narrow landing areas.
Piller looked solid all day. She has had seven top 10s already this season and is looking for her first win.
Jutanugarn is the only player in the field without a driver in her bag. The long-hitting youngster from Thailand hits her three-wood and two-iron far enough to hit it past most of the players. She’s been the hottest player over the past month and could give Ko a run on Sunday.
