Lydia Ko nearly delivered a jaw-dropping moment at the Honda LPGA Thailand, almost acing the par-4 15th. Armed with her driver on the 255-yard hole, Ko sent the ball bounding toward the pin, stopping just 3 feet shy of an albatross. The hole, typically 320 yards, had its tee moved up for the second round, giving players a tempting shot at the green.
Reflecting on the shot, Ko shared, "I needed to hit a really good one to get around the front. I got a member's bounce, a firm bounce off the downslope. Ended up being perfect."
This eagle propelled Ko into a tie for third after a flawless 64, putting her four strokes behind leader Somi Lee, who dazzled with a 61. Ko enjoyed the round alongside local favorite Jeeno Thitikul, who was warmly cheered on her way to a 63.
Ko's focus on improving her ball-striking, particularly her iron play, is paying off. "My ball-striking is something that we've been trying to dial down," Ko explained.
"I think I had my worst iron greens in regulation stats these past couple years, so that was high on my attention list. It's been a while since I hit 16 greens, so definitely nice to come off with a round like that."
Last season, Ko ranked 113th in greens hit in regulation, a drop from 49th the previous year. Her performance in Thailand marks a promising turnaround.
Returning to Thailand for the first time in three years, Ko battled the intense heat, with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees before noon. She'll be looking to carry this momentum into next week's title defense at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore, where the heat promises to be just as challenging.