New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko comfortably won her first round match at the US amateur championship in Ohio on Thursday (NZT).
Ko, 15, eased into the final 32 golfers with a 4 and 3 defeat of 63rd-ranked American Amy Beth Simanton. The Aucklander never looked like losing after going 3-up through seven holes at The Country Club course in Cleveland.
She finished second through two rounds of stroke play qualifying for the tournament.
Ko, who was knocked out in the second round of the same event last year, has been in good recent form, finishing leading amateur at the US Open at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin last month.
NZN