Lydia Ko makes 10 birdies, ties course record and leads by 4 in Saudi Arabia:
Ko had 10 birdies and one bogey in shooting 63 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. She stands at 16 under par, four shots clear of Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, who shot 65 in Round 3.
“I played really solid today,” Ko told reporters after her round. “I missed a short putt for par on 3 and then went on a stretch of birdies. I gave myself a lot of good looks for birdie opportunities and I was rolling it well, so it was a good combination of everything, where I wasn’t making many mistakes. It was that kind of a round where I just kept putting myself in position, trying to play the best golf I can.
 |
|
|
“I’ve got to keep playing aggressively. This is a course where you’ve seen players can play well so I’m just trying to make my share out there and see what happens.”
Overnight leader Alice Hewson shot 1-under 71 and slipped to solo-third, six shots behind Ko.
Thitikul currently leads the Ladies European Tour’s Race to the Costa del Sol and is in great position to lock up the title with two events remaining on the schedule.
A course-record equaling 63 from Lydia Ko has the Kiwi in firm control heading into the final day of the US$1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
Ko carded five birdies on both the
front and back nine at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to lead by
four with one round to play in the Ladies European Tour event.
Lydia Ko leads by four heading into the @AramcoLadiesInt final day 📈
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) November 6, 2021
All scores 👇👇👇#RaiseOurGame | #SaudiLadiesIntl
Sitting at 16-under, the 24-year-old will look to hold off a final day push from Thailand's Atthaya Thitikul, whose scintillating 65 propelled her into lone second.
England's Alice Hewson sits two further back on 10-under, with Spaniards Carlota Ciganda and Nuria Iturrioz both on nine-under.
"I played really solid today," said Ko, who tied Australian Steph Kyriacou's record low round at Royal Greens.
"I missed a short putt for par on three and then went on a stretch of birdies. I gave myself a lot of good looks for birdie opportunities and I was rolling it well, so it was a good combination of everything, where I wasn't making many mistakes. It was that kind of a round where I just kept putting myself in position, trying to play the best golf I can.
"I've got to keep playing aggressively. This is a course where you've seen players can play well so I'm just trying to make my share out there and see what happens."
Sources: nzherald.co.nz & golfchannel.com