New Zealand have a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Queen Sirikit Cup Asia Pacific women's amateur teams golf championship in Hamilton tomorrow.
After team captain Zoe Brake led the way in the first round, Cecilia Cho and Lydia Ko stepped up in the second round at Hamilton Golf Club today.
Ko posted a two-under-par 70 and Cho 71 as New Zealand fired a second successive three-under 141 to move to six-under 282, leaving them two shots clear of Korea and four ahead of third-placed Australia.
Thailand are fourth on 288, four shots ahead of the improving China, who fired a two-under 142 today.
Japan and Taiwan both shot 146 to be on 295 and 297, respectively, and needing some hot scoring tomorrow to challenge for the title.
Brake was not a factor today, her 80 being the non-counting score, but Ko and Cho responded in the 12-nation event which the New Zealand team are looking to win for just the fourth time.
The 12-year-old Ko led the way, her 70 including a double bogey on the 17th that would have otherwise seen the New Zealanders with a bigger buffer.
Cho, 15 and the reigning Australian strokeplay champion, also impressed. She was three-over through nine holes before reeling off four birdies on the back nine to put her team back on top of the leaderboard.
"We had a very rough start to the round and after nine holes we were not looking very good at all," New Zealand team captain Libby Steele said.
"But Lydia and Cecilia hung tough. Cecilia went on fire and Lydia rocked along even with an unfortunate double on the 17th.
"Cecilia produced one of the gutsiest efforts I have seen. She was three-over through nine and the four birdies came from some great putts on the way home."
Korea's Hyo Joo Kim grabbed the lead in the individual honours after posting a 69 today left her on 141, two shots ahead of Cho and Thailand's Yupaporn Kawinpakorn.
