Golf: Ko runner up in qualifying for US Women's Amateur

World No1 Lydia Ko has finished runner-up in qualifying for the US Women's Amateur at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo / Getty Images.

World No1 Lydia Ko has finished runner-up in qualifying for the US Women's Amateur at The Country Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

The 15-year-old, who opened with a six under par 66 to lead by two shots after round one, carded a one under par 71 in round two to finish one shot back from Hyo-Joo Kim.

Kim, a 16-year-old from Korea, claimed the medallist honours with an eight under-par total of 136.

Ko, who was co-medallist at the event in 2011, finished at seven-under-par, while Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn and the long-hitting 2011 US Girls' Junior champion Alison Lee qualified at five-under-par 139.

Ko struggled with her putter. She hit every green in regulation figures but had 36 putts, seven more than round one.

"If I'd putted as well as yesterday, I would have been seven or eight strokes better," Ko said.

She narrowly missed tying for medallist honours when her 1.5m birdie putt on the 18th slid over the left edge of the hole.

"I'm not a bad putter, but now and then it happens," Ko said.

"Last year I was medallist and lost in the second round, so hopefully I'll go a lot further. I came into this championship and knew I had a chance to win, and many other people do as well."

The 2012 US Women's Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday.