Lydia Ko and England's Lottie Woad share the lead at 8-under par after the second round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando. Both players delivered strong performances at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club amid forecasts of extreme cold weather ahead. The LPGA has adjusted the schedule to cope with dropping temperatures.
Lydia Ko of New Zealand fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 in the second round to join Lottie Woad at 8-under 136 through 36 holes at the LPGA's season-opening event. Ko, the 2024 winner and a Lake Nona member, praised her steady play: "I’ve had to hole some good par putts, but I really haven’t put myself in that many difficult positions as of yet. I’m hoping to kind of continue that good momentum this weekend."
Woad, a 22-year-old English professional in her first full LPGA season, followed her opening 67 with a 3-under 69, featuring four birdies and one bogey. She expressed frustration over missed opportunities: "I looked at the leaderboard quite a lot today because I was getting annoyed. Seemed like there weren’t that many low scores out there, so kind of knew I was still in it. The pins were probably a little trickier so weren’t as many birdies as yesterday."
One shot back at 7-under are Amy Yang, who shot 69 and noted the challenging conditions ahead, saying, "Not my favorite [playing conditions], but I’ll be very prepared, dress warm," and Nasa Hataoka with a 71. At 6-under sit defending champion A Lim Kim (69), Youmin Hwang (67), and Ingrid Lindblad (69). World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul and Nelly Korda are tied for seventh at 5-under; Korda carded 71 and plans extra practice, adding, "Lots of layers, hopefully where I can still swing."
A freeze watch is in effect for central Florida, with overnight lows of 24 degrees Sunday and winds up to 25 mph. The LPGA has cut Sunday's final-round field to 60 players, reducing celebrities to 21 and eliminating amateurs to shorten play. Tee times will start later, with broadcast on Peacock (1-2 p.m. ET), NBC (2-4 p.m.), and Golf Channel (4-6 p.m.). Saturday's high is 56 degrees with gusts to 35 mph.
