Ko leads Women’s Open with stunning 63
New Zealand teenage sensation Lydia Ko has continued her fine form with an incredible 10-under-par 63 in the opening round of the 2013 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open being played this week at Royal Canberra Golf Club.
The 15 year-old Ko, ranked Number 30 in the world while still an amateur, leads by one from Colombian Mariajo Uribe at 9-under and former Open runner-up and World Number 7 Jiyai Shin at 8-under par.
Ko said her star playing partners added to the enjoyment in an excellent round.
“Yeah it was fun out there, I mean when you hit a good round it makes it better, but Yani and Michelle, we had a few good conversations so I think that made it more enjoyable,” Ko said.
“It (tomorrow) could go two ways, I could not have a great round tomorrow, or I could just follow up with a good round, so I mean it's quite hard to beat my round today, so hopefully I can stay consistent.”
Rolex World Number 1 Taiwanese Yani Tseng finished in a tie for seventh at 5-under par and said she enjoyed watching her playing partner light it up.
“I mean it was very fun to watch her play golf today, I mean she still looks fifteen, I don't know how she hits the ball that well, I didn't know. I wasn't even that close to her when I was fifteen. It is very interesting to see her play, and I really enjoyed playing with her today too. I think she pushed me up a little bit too, at first she made birdie and I mean, I don't want to lose, I want to make birdie too, trying to keep to her, but at 9 she was on fire and I dropped back, she was on fire,” Tseng said.
Katherine Hull-Kirk, Sarah-Jane Smith and Kristie Smith are the best of the Australians after 5-under par rounds of 68 in a tie for eighth.
Italian Giulia Sergas is the best of the Europeans at 6-under par in sixth place.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
63 - Lydia Ko (NZL)
64 - Mariajo Uribe (COL)
65 - Jiyai Shin (KOR)
66 - Rebecca Lee-bentham (CAN) , Ayako Uehara (JPN) , Mi Hyang Lee (KOR)
67 - Giulia Sergas (ITA)
68 - Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) , Maude-Aimee Leblanc (CAN) , Katherine Hull-kirk (AUS) , Angela Stanford (USA) , Yani Tseng (TPE) , Beatriz Recari (ESP) , Kristie Smith (AUS)
69 - Vicky Hurst (USA) , Lizette Salas (USA) , Stacy Lewis (USA) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Austin Ernst (USA) , Catriona Matthew (SCO) , Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) , Katelyn Must (AUS)
70 - Jane Park (USA) , Dori Carter (USA) , Jessica Korda (USA) , Min Jee Lee (AUS) , Dewi Claire Schreefel (NLD) , Eun Hee Ji (KOR) , Stacy Prammanasudh (USA) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Beth Allen (USA) , Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) , Courtney Massey (AUS) , Meaghan Francella (USA)
71 - Jenny Shin (KOR) , Cindy Lacrosse (USA) , Mi Jung Hur (KOR) , Laura Davies (ENG) , Danielle Kang (USA) , Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Laura Diaz (USA) , Belen Mozo (ESP) , Brittany Lincicome (USA) , Alison Walshe (USA) , Pornanong Phatlum (THA) , Nikki Garrett (AUS) , Jennifer Song (USA) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Thidapa Suwannapura (THA) , Kathlyn Ekey (USA) , Carlota Ciganda (ESP) , Rachel Bailey (AUS) , Julieta Granada (PAR) , Karrie Webb (AUS) , Cheyenne Woods (USA) , Veronica Felibert (VEN)
Selected
74 – Lee-Anne Pace (RSA)
