New Zealand golfing prodigy Lydia Ko has stormed her way into title contention at the United States women's amateur championship.
The Auckland 14-year-old, ranked the world's leading female amateur, was in imperious touch for the second round of strokeplay qualifying at Barrington, Rhode Island, today.
The reigning New Zealand and Australian amateur champion posted a fine five-under-par 66 to complete the strokeplay section of the championship in a tie for first place at six-under 136.
That gives her a huge boost heading into the matchplay format featuring the top 64 players from a 156-strong field.
Bidding to become the first New Zealander to win the title, Ko mixed eight birdies with three bogeys as she picked up four shots in as many holes at one stage.
She shared top billing with first-round leader Jihee Kim, of Korea, who shot a 70 today.
Ko's round began on the inward nine and she went one-over after four holes before her birdie streak. She birdied the 15th with a 20-foot putt and the 16th from just over four feet. A 10-foot putt on the 18th produced another birdie and she turned in two-under 33.
After a birdie at the first hole from tap-in range, she bogeyed the third then charged home with four consecutive birdies from the fourth onwards.
"I didn't get my putts rolling until the 15th," Ko said, giggling.
"It's my weakness."
Of her four-birdie streak she said: "After I made two birdies, I said to myself, 'make par, make par,' then I had another opportunity on number six and I made it. On the seventh, I had 36 feet and I wasn't really expecting to make it, but I did."
This is Ko's first appearance at the championship and she will focus on the upcoming matchplay rounds by thinking of past success.
"I'll be thinking about the New Zealand amateur because I played pretty solid then."
