By Kent Gray
Before Lydia Ko won her 16th LPGA Tour title at the Lotte Championship last April we’d wondered for an awfully long time what had happened to the real Lydia Ko. The best part of three years to be nearly exact.

The victory in Hawaii ended a 1,084 day title drought and reminded us of the brilliance that saw the Korean-born Kiwi win 14 times before turning 20 and become the youngest LPGA Tour winner and youngest Rolex world No.1.

Now 24 and seven months removed from her seven-under 65 to win at Kapolei Golf Club, Ko produced a course record-equalling 63 to take firm control at the $1million Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF.

Ko, at -16, will take a four-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club over LET Race to Costa del Sol champion in waiting Atthaya Thitikul whose scintillating 65 propelled her into lone second. England’s Alice Hewson sits two further back on -10, with Spaniards Carlota Ciganda and Nuria Iturrioz both on -9.

“I played really solid today,” said Ko, who tied Australian Steph Kyriacou’s record low round at Royal Greens with five birdies on both the front and back nine.

“I missed a short putt for par on three and then went on a stretch of birdies. I gave myself a lot of good looks for birdie opportunities and I was rolling it well, so it was a good combination of everything, where I wasn’t making many mistakes. It was that kind of a round where I just kept putting myself in position, trying to play the best golf I can.”

And so to Sunday.

“I’ve got to keep playing aggressively. This is a course where you’ve seen players can play well so I’m just trying to make my share out there and see what happens.”

Thitikul might be on the verge of becoming European No.1 and is by no means waving the white flag. But she also knows there are lessons to be learned playing in the company of Ko.

“She is really solid. Her putter and short game is one of the best – she’s pretty good. I’ll learn from her tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.

Atthaya Thitikul.

“I feel pretty good about my round today. My putter was on fire. I’ll keep trying to roll in my putts tomorrow and keep making as many birdies as I can, staying focused.”

After an opening day 75, a resurgent Georgia Hall went three-under-par yesterday, before going a further three better today, placing her in a busy chasing pack, albeit 10  off the top.

“Today I could’ve been nine-under if I’m honest. I missed quite a few putts under 10-foot. But my game was a lot better today and I’m very happy with how I played.

“I had three weeks off so maybe just getting back into tournament mode took me a little bit more time than I thought. No matter how much you practice, competitions always feel different, so it’s just been getting my swing back into a good place.”

American Alison Lee – whose compatriot and playing partner Lyndsey Weaver found the tournament’s second hole-in-one en-route to a one-under-par 71 – sits one better at -7, herself bouncing back from an opening five-over-par 77 with rounds of 65 and 67.

“I feel like I played pretty solid today. My strength today was my putting. Long birdie putts, shaky par putts coming back – it was my saviour today.

“I was very disappointed after the first round. I feel like I’ve been playing really well and that was just one of those days a golfer has in their back pocket once in a while, it just kind of happens. Thankfully I recovered yesterday and hopefully I can put a good number up tomorrow.”

The 2nd Aramco Saudi Ladies International will be followed by the Nov. 10-12 Aramco Team Series – Jeddah, the last of four new $1million team tournaments added to the Ladies European Tour this season.