Golf: Tween queen puts Kiwis two shots clear in penultimate round

Lydia Ko (12) was the form player in the New Zealand team yesterday as the battle for the Queen Sirikit Cup heats up. Photo / Christine Cornege

Twelve-year-old Lydia Ko led the way as New Zealand established a two-shot lead in the Queen Sirikit Cup with one round to go.

Ko shot a two-under 70 yesterday and 15-year-old Cecilia Cho a 71 for a two-round total of 282 on the Hamilton Golf Club course as first-round star Zoe Brake blew out to a non-counting 80.

For much of the day it looked as if defending champions Korea were going to race away from the field but a poor finish saw them have to settle for second on 284 with Australia third on 286.

Ko was the form player in the New Zealand team from the start of yet another perfect Hamilton day. While Cho and Brake struggled, she had four birdies and was four under with two to play.

But on the par-four 17th her drive found a fairway bunker and she mishit her seven-iron second to finish with a double-bogey six. It was her only blemish and she said she felt confident she could shoot under par again in the final round.

Cho's 71 was the comeback story of the day. She had a double-bogey on the seventh, where she twice hit trees, and with eight holes to play she was three over.

But suddenly her iron play improved and she holed 3m birdie putts on the 11th, 12th and 13th and then a monster on the 16th.

"I kind of knew Zoe was not too good," she said, "so I had to score well. My irons are starting to work better and that helps."

Brake never found her rhythm. Whereas she had peppered the pin in her first-round 69, she was often off-target with her approach shots and the saving putts didn't drop.

After nine holes Korea and Thailand were three ahead of New Zealand and they stretched that further before both faltered over the closing holes.

One who didn't was Korean 15-year-old Hyo Joo Kim, who added a 69 to her first round of 72 to head the individual standings, two ahead of Cho and Thai Yupaporn Kawinpakorn.

One of those to fade was Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand, who was three under at the turn after an eagle on the ninth, but dropped out of contention after a double on the 12th where she took two shots to get out from under a tree.

The seeded draw for the final round today sees New Zealand, Korea and Australia tee off from 9.30am.