Ryan Fox playing his tee shot on the 12th hole of the third round of the Houston Open in Houston, Texas, 30 March, 2025. Photo: AFP
Top New Zealand golfers Ryan Fox and Lydia Ko are both within striking distance of the lead heading into the last round of their respective tournaments in the United States.
In the PGA Tour's Houston Open in Texas, Fox overcame a poor start to surge into contention for the title with a 5-under par third round of 65. He is five strokes behind leader, Australian Min Woo Lee, and in joint third place.
Ko is also five strokes off the lead in the LPGA Ford Championship in Arizona. The Olympic champion hit a 4-under 68 to lie in joint 10th place, behind leader American Lilia Vu.
Fox started his third round with two bogeys, but put those behind him to post a 5-under 65, notching five birdies on the back nine.
He had a run of them late, on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, before a par on the last.
Fox moved into second place before a strong finish by Alejandro Tosti of Argentina relegated him to third equal, with world No 1 Scottie Sheffler and fellow American Ryan Gerard.
Tosti is four strokes behind Lee.
Fox, 38, who has won four times on the European Tour, is chasing his first PGA Tour victory.
Lee had seven birdies and no birdies in his third round, while Sheffler, who had taken the second round lead with a 62, scored 69 this time, including two bogeys.
Lydia Ko hits a tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the Ford Championship in Chandler, Arizona, 29 March 2025. Photo: AFP
At the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona, Ko hit four birdies on the front nine, but was held back by a double bogey on the ninth.
She had another bogey on the 14th, but also had three birdies in her closing nine. She was unlucky not to get an eagle on the par-5 17th as her putt stopped on the lip of the hole.
American Vu recovered from a double bogey on the 14th hole, with birdies at the next three holes before finishing with a par and a round of 68.
She leads at 18-under by two strokes from English woman Charley Hull, while Ayaka Furue from Japan and Nanna Koerstz Madsen from Denmark are a further shot back.
Ko, who had a stellar 2024 with wins at the Paris Olympics and British Open, won the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore earlier this month.
It was her 23rd LPGA title.
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