Lydia Ko continues hot run on LPGA Tour; Ryan Fox misses cut on PGA Tour

Lydia Ko prepares to putt on the 18th green during the first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship golf tournament at Bradenton Country Club. Photo / AP

Lydia Ko is keeping her hot streak going by backing up this week’s season-opening win on the LPGA Tour by taking the first-round lead at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida.

Two and a half hours down the road from her victory in Orlando on Monday, Ko has fired a six-under opening round 65 to share the lead at the Bradenton Country Club.

The Kiwi shares the lead with American world number four Nelly Korda.

Norway’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen is a shot back in second.

On Monday, Ko captured her 20th career LPGA victory, the 15th player in tour history to reach the milestone. The win gave Ko an additional point towards LPGA Hall of Fame induction, which makes her one short of the 27-point threshold necessary to be enshrined.

Ko had four birdies on the front nine, going out in 32 before picking up two more birdies at the 14th and 17th holes.

Fox struggles at start of PGA Tour campaign

Ryan Fox has missed the cut in his first appearance as a full member of the PGA Tour, finishing one-under through two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

With the cut line sitting at three-under, Fox’s first tournament on the US circuit for 2024 came to an early end.

Fox was well placed to make a run into the weekend after a first-round 70 saw him going into day two at two-under. He struggled early in his round on the North Course on Thursday, but five birdies in his last 10 holes saw him claw things back.

He got off to a similar start on the South Course on Friday, with bogeys on two of his first three holes, before a pair of birdies saw him finish his first nine holes even. For the rest of the round, he was flirting with the cut line; a bogey on his 13th hole cancelled out by a birdie on his 15th, before back-to-back bogeys on his next two holes saw him fall to two-over for the round.

He ended the day with a birdie to bring his two-round total to one-under, two shots shy cut line.

Kiwi rookie shines on DP World Tour

Sam Jones has made a strong start at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour, posting a six-under 66 at the Al Hamra Golf Club in the UAE to hold a share of seventh place after the opening round.

Jones, 27, didn’t get off to an ideal start with a bogey on the first, but it was one of just two holes he dropped shots on as he soon came into his own. Jones put together an impressive back nine, with birdies on five of his last six holes.

The Taranaki golfer sits four shots back from English leader Callum Shinkwin, who shot a first-round 62.

Fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier finished two-under in his opening round to sit in a tie for 48th.