Golf: Lydia Ko two shots off the lead at Saudi Ladies International

Lydia Ko. Photo / Photosport

A mixed round has seen Lydia Ko relinquish her lead at the Saudi Ladies International after the second round.

Making her first start of the season, the world No 1 went into the day with a share of the lead alongside Thailand’s Anannarukarn Pajaree at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club. Carding six birdies as well as three bogeys to finish her second round with a three-under-par 69, Ko moved to 11-under at the tournament’s halfway point.

Indian Aditi Ashok edged ahead of Ko by two shots on the leaderboard, backing up her opening round 66 with a seven-under-par 65 in windy conditions. Pajaree struggled with her round, carding a seven-over 79 to fall into a tie for 39th.

“I thought it was pretty windy when I saw the birds going sideways,” Ko joked after her round.

“Luckily for us we were one of the early few groups in the afternoon so we had to bear the wind a little less than some of the other players, but all in all I thought I played pretty solid in that stretch when it did get pretty windy.”

The 25-year-old shares second place with American Lilla Vu, who went one stroke better than her opening round 67 in her second effort.

Ko started her round in familiar fashion, again with a birdie on the opening hole. She then dropped a shot on the third, but quickly recovered that with a birdie on the fifth.

A birdie on the ninth followed by a bogey on the 11th continued the trend, before Ko carded back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th.

Despite a bogey on the penultimate hole, Ko was able to recover with a birdie on 18 to head into the weekend on the right note.

The Saudi Ladies International has a US$5m prize fund, supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, with the winner taking home US$750,000 ($NZ1.2m).