Golf: Lydia Ko showing signs of old magic at British Open

Lydia Ko smiles during the weather-hampered second round of the Women's British Open. Photo / Getty

With Spiderwoman flying high, and Supermum planning to relaunch, this may seem more like an alternative Marvel convention than the 44th staging of AIG Women's British Open. Yet perhaps the hero most likely to swoop into the winner's place on Monday is the golfer desperately trying to move on from her moniker as golf's Girl Wonder.

At 23, Lydia Ko finally looks ready to prevail again and so lend her remarkable story a thrilling comeback chapter. On one-over, Ko is only two off the lead set by Sweden's Daniel Holmqvist (AKA Spiderwoman) with Scotland's Catriona Matthew (AKA Supermum) leading the home challenge, on five-over, alongside Wales's Becky Morgan.

Yet with respect to that trio and indeed the rest of a packed leaderboard featuring American Austin Ernst on level par, Australian Minjee Lee also on one-over and world No 4 Nelly Korda on two-over, it's easy to understand why the bookmakers have Ko as favourite to lift the £515,000 ($NZ1.03m) first prize going into the weekend.

And that is despite Ko not having won anything in two and a half years and only once in 4 years.

In short, Ko looks like Ko again and although she wants to leave the past where it is, it is impossible not to hark back to the amazement she provoked as a teenage prodigy. An LPGA Tour winner by 15 (a record); world No 1 by 17 (a record); a major-winner by 18 (a record); a multiple major-winner before 19 (a record). The garlands stacked up in the form of a pedestal. Alas, Ko then began to topple.

In a torrid four years since leaving David Leadbetter - a fall-out that became increasingly acrimonious as the English coach pointed to the parents - Ko has employed five instructors - settling recently with Sean Foley, Tiger Woods's former guru - and has been similarly prolific in caddie appointments and equipment changes. Before lockdown, Ko found herself outside the world's top 50 for the first time since she was 15. She plainly needed the isolation.

"Even though they were circumstances none of us wanted, it was great for me to take a step back and assess where I was at," she said after a second-round 70 compiled in the Ayrshire wind and rain.

"With Sean, we haven't done a lot in the technical sense. We are trying to get rid of the question marks in my head so I can swing freely. Sean has told me to dig a hole and throw all my crap in there. A big thing for me has just been able to believe in myself again."

Ko has long pledged to retire from the sport by 30 and wonders if she will stick to that vow. But now, she believes that decision will not be dependent on what happens in the meantime.

"I don't know where my career is going to go," she said. "At one point I was comparing myself to when I was world No 1, but so many things have happened that I can never be that same person. I just have to be the best I can be right now."

At last Ko appears to be back on track. She has shrugged off blowing a five-shot lead at the Marathon Championship two weeks ago and simply taken the positives in finally contending once more.

This re-acclimatisation promises to serve her well. "I just need to stay patient this weekend, because although it is not supposed to be as rough, it will still be about keeping it in play," Ko said.

Matthew will say Amen to that. The 50-year-old, who so memorably won this major in 2009 only 11 weeks after giving birth, found it a struggle in her 76, but knows she is plenty near enough in these volatile circumstances.

For her part Holmqvist believes she has what it takes. "I will take these conditions over spider bites any day of the week," she said after a 70 left her as the only player under par.

Holmqvist, 32, was referring to the famous incident during the Australian Open in 2013, when, after being bitten by a Black Widow and told the venom could be fatal, she used a tee-peg to pierce the wound and squeeze out the poison. She then played the remaining 14 holes.

"Looking back, I don't know if what I did was cool, smart or stupid, but I'm just glad I'm here," Holmqvist said. "Because I also had a nasty cart crash in a tournament in China a few years ago."

Meanwhile, Danny Lee fired a a seven-under 64 in the second round of the PGA Tour's opening FedEx Cup Playoffs event – The Northern Trust.

After shooting a five-under 66 in his opening round to be tied for 12th, the Kiwi moved to a tie for fourth place on the leaderboard with the eight-birdie round.

The top 70 players in the season-long FedEx Cup rankings move into the next tournament, with Lee's impressive start vaulting him from 53rd to 19th in the projected standings.

On the European Tour, Ryan Fox sits in a tie for 39th at the Wales Open after a second round which saw him struggle to a three-over 74. However his performance stood out when compared to fellow Kiwi Michael Campbell who posted the worst round of the day, a 10-over 81, to miss the cut.

- Daily Telegraph UK