Date: February 21, 2015
Author: Martin Blake

Leaders holding firm in Open

 

Leaders Lydia Ko and Ha Na Jang are keeping the rest of the field at bay in the third round of the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open.

Ko and Jang started with seven consecutive pars in hot, difficult conditions at Royal Melbourne.

Both the Kiwi and the South Korean are at six-under par overall, a shot ahead of another Korean Amy Yang and Thailand's Arigya Jutanugarn.

The 35-degree heat is baking the greens on the composite course and making the putting surfaces extremely bouncy and fast.

England's Charley Hull moved within range of the lead after two early birdies but immediately gave shots back.

The big mover of the day has been Korean Ilhee Lee, who carded a brilliant four-under-par 69 to climb up the leaderboard after she led through the first round, then imploded with a second-round 82. Lee is at even-par overall, just outside the top 10.

The closest Australian is Queenslander Katherine Kirk at even-par overall through nine holes of the third round.