World No 1 Lydia Ko struggled to tied 30th on the first day of the Sime Darby LPGA yesterday as her blip in form continued despite axing her caddie.
The 19-year-old, using a Malaysian bagman after ditching Australian Jason Hamilton earlier this month, shot even-par 71 in Kuala Lumpur to lie eight shots off the lead.

The New Zealander double-bogeyed the par-four second hole and never fully recovered, carding another bogey against three birdies.
“I made a really clumsy double on the second. I hit a great drive and then I just leaked a shot in the water,” said Ko.

“The rest of the day I was just trying to fight back and put myself in position under par,” she added.
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Ko’s brilliant early career has faltered in recent months and she finished 51st in her last tournament, the Korea LPGA Championship in Incheon.

At the top of the leaderboard, two-time LPGA Tour winner Amy Yang was two shots clear after shooting eight birdies for an eight-under-par 63.
America’s Marina Alex was second with 65 ahead of a host of players a shot further back, including 2014 winner Feng Shanshan and former Major winner Michelle Wie.

“I don’t know why, but I do enjoy Southeast Asia. I’d rather play in this (hot) weather than cold weather,” said Yang.

“The last four holes, I hit it really solid, close to the pin. Like all day, my putting was good.”

Both of Yang’s titles have come in Asia, at the LPGA KEB-Hana Bank Championship in her homeland in 2013 and the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2015.

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