Angry Lydia Ko holes out for eagle to share the lead at Royal Melbourne

Lydia Ko got ticked off in the second round of the Women’s Australian Open Friday and her opponents paid for it.

The world No. 1 began the day two strokes off the lead but got even with the field and the course when she holed out for an eagle on the par-4 15th hole after having to settle for a measly par-5 on the 14th.

“I was so upset from the hole before,” Ko told reporters after carding a 3-under 70 at Royal Melbourne to get to 6-under for the tournament and into a three-way tie at the top. “That anger led me to hit an aggressive drive on the 15th.”

Ko, playing her second LPGA Tour event since becoming the youngest golfer ever to attain the No. 1 world ranking, used a 9-iron from about 136 yards for her eagle. The 17-year-old appears unperturbed on the course but revealed her outward demeanor sometimes hides inner irritation.

“Sometimes my anger is good because, like in Ocala [at the tour’s season-opening Coates Golf Championship in Florida], I slammed my putter after three-putting two holes in a row and then I made five birdies in a row,” she said. “I think a little bit of anger is good because it just kind of lets the steam out. Sometimes ... I’ve kind of packed it in [and] it’s definitely not helping me.”

Ko enters the weekend tied with Jang Ha-na and Ariya Jutanugarn, with Charlie Hull, the 2014 top money winner on the Ladies European Tour, two shots back in fourth place. Defending champion Karrie Webb carded a 78 and squeaked into the weekend right on the cut line at 5-over 151 -- 11 strokes behind the frontrunners.

“I warmed up really well today. I’m just not going out there and fully committing and playing the shots,” Webb said about her struggles to make a swing change. “At this stage I’m not thinking about a result; I’m thinking about bringing on to the course what I’m doing in practice.”