8am Round-Up: Lydia Ko in danger of missing Scottish Open cut

Former world No 1 Lydia Ko was in danger of missing the cut after getting off to a poor start in today's second round of the £1.2 million Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies Open at Dundonald Links.
Former world No 1 Lydia Ko started her second round at Dundonald Links with three straight bogeys. Picture: PAFormer world No 1 Lydia Ko started her second round at Dundonald Links with three straight bogeys. Picture: PA
Former world No 1 Lydia Ko started her second round at Dundonald Links with three straight bogeys. Picture: PA

The 20-year-old had started the day inside the projected cut of four-over after an opening 74 in Ayrshire but soon had a battle on her hands following three straight bogeys to begin her round.

That shaky start dropped Ko, who hasn’t won in more than a year and was looking to use this event to boost her confidence heading into next week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns, to five-over - to five-over.

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With the leading 70 and ties making the cut in this event, she had two shots to make up over the remaining 15 holes to be around for the weekend in the LPGA-sanctioned event if the mark remained at three-over.

Ko wasn’t alone in struggling at the start of the second day, with overnight leader Karrie Webb, world No 1 So Yeon Ryu and second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn also dropping shots eary on.

Webb’s bogey at the first dropped her back into a share of the lead with American Cristie Kerr, one of the later staters today.

Ryu, meanwhile, matched Ko’s three bogeys at the 10th, 11th and 12th to slip from one-under to two-over, one ahead of Jutanugarn after her bogey-bogey start.

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Open Championship runner-up Matt Kuchar suffered dizzy spells in the first round of the Canadian Open.

The American teed off at the 10th at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario, and was four-under through 11 holes before he began to feel light-headed late in the round.

After receiving medical attention, he completed a one-under par 71, which left him six shots off the lead shared by Hudson Swafford, Brandon Hagy, Matt Every, Kevin Chappell and Ollie Schniederjans.

Afterwards, Kuchar said he didn’t think the trouble had anything to do with the quick turnaround from Royal Birkdale, where he led with five holes to play before finishing second to Jordan Spieth.

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“I’ve had plenty of time to get over the travel,” said Kuchar. “Hopefully it’s just something that passes real quick.”

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Stephen Gallacher finished birdie-eagle for an opening four-under-par 68 to sit just two shots off the lead in the Porsche European Open in Hamburg.

Craig Lee also opened with a 68 as American Julien Suri, who tied for top spot with Connor Syme in the Open final qualifer at Gailes Links, shared the lead with Richard McEvoy, winner of the SSE Scottish Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley in Aviemore last month.

Richie Ramsay, who finished just outside the top 20 in last week’s Open Championship, had a 70 before starting his second round this morning with a bogey-5 at the 10th.

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Bernhard Langer took a one-shot lead into today’s second round of the Senior Open Championship afte carding a two-under 69 in challenging conditions at Royal Porthcawl.

The nine-time Senior major winner produced a masterclass on the south Wales links as the 144-man field was buffeted by wind and forced to contend with severe downpours throughout the day.

Langer leads by one shot from Argentina’s Mauricio Molina and England’s Carl Mason, with Colin Montgomerie in a group a shot back.

Sandy Lyle and Ross Drummond both opened with 74s while Senior Tour rookie Gary Orr had a 75.

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On-form Bradley Neil five-under 67 to sit three shots off lead after first round of Swedish Challenge hosted by Robert Karlsson.

Spaniard Pedro Oriol set pace, with Jack McDonald also getting off to a promising start with a 68 in Katrineholm.

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Last year’s Scottish Boys’ champion Eric McIntosh is in the mix heading into the final round of the Carris Trophy at West Sussex.

The Bruntsfield Links lad sits joint-fifth on two-under, four shots behind French challenger Jean Bekirian, in what is the English Under-18 Boys’ Open Champiobship.

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Longniddry’s Cameron Gallagher is sitting joint-18th after the opening two rounds of the European Young Masters in Oslo.

The Lothians youngster followed an opening 73 with a 77 as home hope Mikkel Antonsen stormed into a four-shot lead at the halfway stage, helped by a nine-under 63.

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Shannon McWilliam leapfrogged Clara Young to sit as top Scot after 36 holes in the European Women’s Championship in Lausanne.

As Young crashed out of contention following a second-round 89, McWilliam followed her opening 73 with a 72 to sit eight shots off the lead.

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Out in front are Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela (70-67) and Zhen Bonton (68-69) of the Netherlands.

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Only three Scots - Danny Kay (The Renaissance Club), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) and Sean Lawrie (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) - are still standing in the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Matchroom Sport Championship at Luton Hoo.

After rounds of 70-69, Kay sits in joint-16th, eight shots behind leader Sam Connor (67-64), with Fenwick (71-71) and Lawrie (76-66) tied for 42nd.

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The fourth Latin America Amateur Championship will be played at Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago, Chile, on 20-23 January, 2018.

The winner will earn a spot in next year’s Masters, as well as a spot in the final qualifying for both the US Open and The Open.

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John Hay, the Scottish pro at Waterlooville near Portsmouth, joined forces with amateur Rob Dennett to claim victory in the PGA Super-60s 36-holer at Wollaton Vale.

The pair finished with a 17-under-par 125 total to win by five shots.

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