India’s Tvesa Malik ensured a bogey-free round of 5-under 67 to enter the top 10 of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International in KAEC, Saudi Arabia.
Tvesa is now 6-under following rounds of 74-69 on the first two days. She is tied for ninth alongside England’s Georgia Hall and Germany’s Olivia Cowan.
World No. 7 Lydia Ko produced a scorching round of 63 to claim a four-shot lead on the third day.
Saudi Ladies International - Second round report
Aditi Ashok also turned in a steady 3-under 69, the same as the second day, and she was 5-under and tied-12th. The third Indian in the field, Diksha Dagar (74-74), missed the cut.
Tvesa, whose best on the Ladies European Tour has been a runner-up finish at the Gant Ladies Open, birdied first, third, ninth, 13th and 18th. It was also a big relief for her that she took advantage of the Par-5s, as she birdied three of the four.
Aditi was also bogey free and birdied three times - on the ninth, 13th and 18th, which are all Par-5s.
Course record
Kiwi Ko equalled the course record at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club to move to 16-under-par for the tournament. Ko dropped a shot on the third hole but then made three consecutive birdies on holes four through six. The 24-year-old added three birdies in a row around the turn, before rolling in three more on 13, 14 and 15 and a final birdie on the 17th.
Four shots behind Ko is 2021 Race to Costa del Sol leader Thai teenager Atthaya Thitikul, who carded her best round of the week so far with a 7-under 65. The 18-year-old has a chance to seal the Race to Costa del Sol crown this week as she has a 1,446.69-point lead over Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen.
Overnight leader Alice Hewson had a difficult start to her third day. She shot a round of 71 to be six shots behind the leader and in third place.
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