Kiwi Lydia Ko has seen her hopes of defending the LPGA Lotte Championship crumble on a second day hampered by windy conditions at Hawaii's Hoakalei Country Club.
Just three strokes off the pace after the opening 18 holes, Ko carded a three-over 75 to sit even par and tied for 33rd, 10 shots behind leader Korean leader Hyo Joo Kim.
The damage could have been worse, after she recorded her seventh bogey of the day and, at two over, flirted with the projected cut, but rallied with birdies at the 15th and 18th holes to confirm her spot for the weekend.
Her birdie on the par-three 15th signalled a change in momentum, after her tee shot hit the flag and rebounded 35 feet away, but the Kiwi holed the return putt for a morale-boosting two.
Ko's 2021 success at this venue broke a three-year LPGA winless drought, helping her climb to third in world rankings.
Last week, she finished 10 strokes off the pace at the Chevron Championship - the year's first LPGA Major - for 25th equal.
