Lydia Ko had a hole-in-one and four birdies on the front nine to surge to a tie for second in the third round in Rio.

Lydia Ko slapped high fives, but she would have rather busted a move after her first hole in one helped her surge into medal contention after three rounds of the Rio Olympics golf tournament.

Ko aced the par-three eighth hole on her way to a six-under round of 65 to head into the final round in a share of second, two shots off leader Inbee Park of Korea as the wind made low scoring difficult.

The 19-year-old world No 1 found form with her putter on the front nine at Marapendi Reserve Golf Course to birdie three of her first six holes, before her eagle at the 154-yard eighth and another birdie at the ninth moved her further up the leaderboard. She did all her work on the outward nine, carding a 29, before nine straight pars on the back nine.

Ko had started the day seven shots off the pace after opening rounds of 69 and 70 left her in a share of 22nd.

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ANDREW BOYERS/REUTERS Lydia Ko posted four birdies and a hole-in-one eagle in a front-nine 29 to storm into medal contention.

"I made my first ever hole-in-one and for it to be at the Olympics, it doesn't get much better than that," she said.

"I almost didn't know how to react. I mean it is your first one, the wind is blowing, and I haven't had the best luck with hole-in-ones. I had two big chances, but they just decided not to go in.

"I would have loved to have done a dance or jumped up and down but in that situation I was almost about to cry.

"I watched for it, just to see where it would end up, not if it was going to go in the hole or not. I couldn't believe it when the ball disappeared, especially not having the experience of knowing what a hole-in-one felt like.

"I didn't know if there was a dip or something right there and I didn't want to look stupid and jump up and down. I guess it was just the perfect shot at the perfect time."

Legend Gary Player talks up @LydiaKo. "Wonderful. So talented, humble, a role model for young women." @nzgolf pic.twitter.com/EKUHVhmFMy — NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) August 19, 2016

She had chances on the back nine to go lower, but putts on the 12th and 13th failed to drop and then on the last a 36-foot effort squeezed just past the lip.

Overnight leader, South Korea's Inbee Park, maintains her lead. She carded a one-under 70 to get to 11-under, with Ko and American Gerina Piller tied for second at nine-under.

China's Shanshan Feng is fourth, at eight-under, with a further three-shot gap back to a group of players tied for fifth at five-under as the strong winds saw many falter.

"I said we have been pretty lucky with the wind the past two days but I guess I opened my mouth too early. It was blowing really strong out there," Ko said.

"Some of the pars out there, I felt were birdies."

Of her approach to the final round, Ko said: "We all know there is a lot on the line at the end of tomorrow, but I just have to take it on as just another day out there, focus on me, focus on the shot in front of me, and have fun out there.

"To stand on that podium would be almost more than I could imagine. You just start imagining and dreaming about it.

"There is obviously medals and the podium at the end of tomorrow but I just have to look at it as a day and go out there and treat it as a practice round. I think it would be a cool feeling, but you never really know until you are there."

- NZN and Stuff

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