Lydia Ko equals Course record in Korea

BMW Ladies Championship - Round Three

BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA - OCTOBER 23: Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the second hole during the third round of the BMW Ladies Championship at LPGA International Busan on October 23, 2021 in Busan, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Lydia Ko has come out swinging in Korea, finishing in a tie for third at the BMW Ladies Championship and equaling the course record in the final round.

She’s also on the cusp of breaking into the LPGA Tour’s Top 10 in career earnings behind Paula Creamer.

Ko picked up the healthy cheque after equaling the LPGA International Busan course record in the final round with an eight-under 64. She shot 73, 67, and 67 in the first three rounds.

After starting the tournament slowly in round one, go was anything but today.

The 24-year-old began with three birdies on the trot from the first and added another at the sixth to make the turn at four-under.

She added another at the 11th before going back-to-back at the 14th and 15th. She went on to birdie her final hole of the day to sign for 64, equal the course record, and get to 17-under.

The blemish-free day sees Ko remain in third place on the Race to CME Globe standings.

She’ll next play in Pelican Women’s Championship in Florida from November 11 – 13.

Steve Alker continues to make a home for himself on the Champions Tour, finishing in a tie for fourth at the Dominion Energy Classic in Virginia.

Alker had a slice of the lead early in the week, shooting a nine-under 63 in the opening round. He carded 70 and 72 in the second and last rounds to finish at 11-under, three shots back of Bernhard Langer and Doug Barron, with Langer prevailing in a playoff.

The 50-year-old Kiwi is also projected to move up nine places on the Schwab Cup points rankings into 46th. The top 72 make the playoff events.

David Smail was the third Kiwi to finish inside the top 10 this week.

He teed it up in the Tanoshiku Omoshiroi Seniors on the Japan Seniors Tour and finished a tie for ninth tie.

Smail carded rounds of 70, 71, and 68 to finish at seven-under-par.

Finally, Josh Geary has finished in a share of 40th at the Mallorca Open on the European Tour.

Geary has finished at three-under Golf Santa Ponsa in Spain, 12-shots back of the champion Jeff Winther.

He shot rounds of 67, 71, 71, and 68.