Golf: Lydia Ko remains in the hunt at ANA Inspiration

Lydia Ko hits a shot in her second round. Photo / Getty

Lydia Ko is enjoying a rollercoaster ride at the first golf major of the year.

Ko sits in a share of sixth at the ANA Inspiration after a three-under 69 in her second round which included five birdies, four bogies and an eagle.

That places her at five-under, four shots behind leader Patty Tavatanakit, and Ko is hoping her remaining rounds produce more peaks than valleys.

"I've been on this rollercoaster since last week. The good thing is I'm making plenty of birdies to make up for the bogeys I've been making.

"I've been trying to not get too in my head when I've been making mistakes. Just trying to stay positive and go, 'hey, if I have nine holes left I have nine chances for birdie'. I've been lucky enough to kind of have a good comeback after a mistake which kind of gets the rhythm going.

"Lots of birdie-bogeys or bogey-birdies, but hopefully I'll be able to reduce a few of those clumsier mistakes and keep having fun out there."

Ko's highlight of the round came at the par-five 11th, where she produced an eagle after a 318-yard drive, a rarity considering she hasn't been amongst the longest hitters on Tour.

"I played the par-fives really well, which has been an area of my game that I haven't been able to take advantage of.

"[On 11] I kind of hit an iffy hybrid shot, but ended up working. I hit it to 15 feet and was probably the closest I could hit to that hole and was able to make that putt.

"So definitely going from over par, that kind of changes the rhythm for me, and then making the birdie on the next hole."

Ko is taking confidence from being in the hunt despite not playing her best.

"I think [my] game is a little bit better in general coming into this week, and I've been taking it as a positive where even if I make a mistake I've been able to get up and make a birdie on the next or within the next few holes.

"I think that's just helped me mentally. I think sometimes you're not going to have your A game. I would say most people, like it's really hard to have your A game every single day. You have to play with what you have. You have to play with that kind of shot that you have been hitting.

"Hopefully I'll just be able to keep continuing the aspects that I've been doing well and polish up on a few things."

Ko sits four shots back from Tavatanakit who took the lead with an opening 66 and shot a 69 to reach nine-under, a stroke ahead of Shanshan Feng.

The 21-year-old former UCLA player from Thailand missed the cut last week in Carlsbad in the Kia Classic with rounds of 71 and 79. She tied for fifth in February in the Gainbridge LPGA for her best LPGA Tour finish.

International players hold the first 11 positions on leaderboard, with Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand third at seven-under.