New Zealand’s Lydia Ko turned in a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 to join Japan’s Ayaka Furue atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Friday in Orlando, Fla.
Ko and Furue are at 8-under 136 through 36 holes at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, two shots ahead of Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez. Furue held the first-round lead and shot a 1-under 71 Friday.
The Tournament of Champions is open to players who won an LPGA event over the past two seasons and does not feature a 36-hole cut. Ko, a former World No. 1, is in the field on the strength of three victories in 2022, but she is aiming to rebound after not winning on tour in 2023.
Ko did team up with Australian Jason Day to win December’s Grant Thornton Invitational, a mixed-team exhibition in Florida.
“I think Grant Thornton helped a lot. We did a lot of good work the week before with my coach flying over and spending some time here at Lake Nona,” said Ko, who takes up residence in Orlando.
“Even though it was a unique format at Grant Thornton, I think it just was really beneficial week for me to kind of be in positions where I was uncomfortable and still be able to commit to my shots.”
On Friday, Ko had three birdies and an eagle at the par-5 ninth hole. She hit a 3-wood into the ninth green and had around 9 feet for eagle.
“Just tried to keep it simple and give myself a lot of good opportunities, and I was giving myself a lot of birdie chances, so I feel like I left a few out there,” she said.
Furue took her first bogey of the tournament at the par-3 fourth and finished a quiet round with two birdies on the back nine. Dryburgh posted a 4-under 68 and Lopez shot a 1-under 71.
Alexa Pano and Canadian Brooke Henderson each shot 70 Friday and are tied for fifth at 5 under. Pano, 19, broke through last August with her first career victory at the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
“I turned pro for a reason, that I belonged out here and wanted to be out here,” Pano said. “But it’s just really proving that you belong out here I think can be tough. There is so many great players out here. You really got to prove yourself. I feel like I’ve done that, so I feel like now it’s just continue to do that.
Nelly Korda (69), Rose Zhang (71) and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka (70) are among the notable names tied for seventh at 4 under.
–Field Level Media