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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Golf being a game for a lifetime, Lydia Ko could be excused for never having made an ace. Shes just 19, remember.Then again, she has won 14 times on the LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player to win two major championships. She is the No. 1-ranked player in the world.And shes never had a hole-in-one?That changed for Ko on Friday in the third round of the womens Olympic golf tournament. And what a time to do it. Ko holed a 7-iron shot from 140 yards at the par-3 eighth hole to help her shoot 29 over the first nine holes and finish with a 65 that vaulted her into contention for Olympic gold.In blustery conditions that became more pronounced in the afternoon, Kos score was the best of the day and moved her up 20 spots into a tie for second, 2 strokes behind South Koreas Inbee Park.To do that at the Olympics, it doesnt get any better than that, said Ko, who is from New Zealand. But to put myself back into good position going into tomorrow, I think was a job well done going forward.Kos exploits help set up what could be a potentially blockbuster final day for Olympic golf, which will get started earlier than usual due to expected bad weather Saturday afternoon. A two-tee start will begin at 6 a.m. ET with Kos final pairing going off at 7:39 a.m. ET.She will be in that final group with Park, 28, who spent a good bit of time at No. 1 in the world and has 17 LPGA Tour titles, including seven major championships. A thumb injury has kept her from performing at her best this year, but Park has responded nicely during the Olympics, shooting scores of 66-66-70 to position herself for a gold medal.Joining them in the last group will be American Gerina Piller, who has never won on the LPGA Tour but has played inspired golf this week. At a Tuesday news conference, Piller got emotional just talking about the idea of getting on the medal stand. Now, after a third-round 68, she could be just a day away.And that is not to count out the likes of Shanshan Feng of China or Charley Hull of Great Britain or a couple of other South Koreans: Amy Yang and In Gee Chung. They are all within striking distance of a medal, potentially even gold.All of that seemed unlikely for Ko after a lackluster start to the tournament. The pre-Olympics favorite, Ko opened 69-70 and trailed Park by 7 shots.But the New Zealander got hot on the first nine Friday, making birdies at the first, fifth and sixth holes before her ace at the eighth. She then struck her approach to 3 feet at the ninth for another birdie and an outward nine of 29 strokes.The hole-in-one was her first anywhere, somewhat surprising given her success around the world to this point.I was just [recently] talking to someone and I said, Ive actually only made a fifth of a hole-in-one because I made a hole-in-one for a double[-bogey] in a practice round, so I really cant count it, said Ko, meaning that she had hit two balls in a hazard before holing the third for a 5.This is the first one in practice rounds or tournaments included, and I almost didnt know how to react. Because its the first one and the wind is blowing and I havent had the best of luck when it comes to hole-in-ones.I would have loved to, like, done a dance or jumped up and down, but in that situation, I think I was almost trying not to cry, and then I realized, hey, Ive got 11 more holes, get out of it.Ko then made nine straight pars to close out her round in some of the toughest conditions. That put her in the last group for Saturdays final round. In Round 3, Ko hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation.I see a girl who is way beyond her years, said Paul McGinley, the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain who has served as a team leader for the Irish golfers the past two weeks; he watched Ko on Friday while she played with Irelands Leona Maguire.Shes very mature as a golfer and in control of her game. She understands her game, her swing, and she is very proficient at her craft. And she stays in her own mindset. Doesnt play anybody elses game. Doesnt get caught up in the emotions of a good hole, bad hole. And as I say, a girl who seems to be very mature as a golfer.Those attributes have served Ko well in an amazing career as a teenager, one that has a chance to get even better Saturday.Ever since 09, I was only 12 then, Ive imagined myself to be able to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, Ko said. To be here and especially on the first day, the first hole, I almost needed to pinch myself if I was really here in Rio and really competing in the Olympics.To be able to stand on that podium, its almost more than what you would imagine. Yesterday, New Zealand had five athletes who got to stand on the podium and I said, Wow, what a feeling it would be to put my contribution and stand on the podium for New Zealand, too. Just start imagining and dreaming about it.But you never know with the game of golf. Things can change so quickly. Clearance Air Jordan . 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WACO, Texas -- Baylor coach Scott Drew certainly gets why the Bears were overlooked going into this season.On paper with us losing our senior point guard, a lottery pick, the schools all-time leading rebounder, with us having only one senior this year, you understand why people werent voting for us in the Top 25, Drew said.The Bears (8-0) are getting plenty of votes now after an impressive start with three wins over top 10 teams, propelling them from not a single vote less than a month ago to their highest AP ranking in six seasons.The fact that weve been able to win these games against quality teams has given us the recognition and attention that the players have earned, Drew said.Initially, it was easy to discount the Bears 66-49 win over then-No. 4 Oregon the first week of the season since the Ducks were playing without injured preseason All-America forward Dillon Brooks. But the next week, after getting into the poll at 20th, the Bears won the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Bahamas with come-from-behind wins over No. 24 Michigan State and No. 10 Louisville. After Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitinos Cardinals jumped out to a 25-5 lead in the title game, and still led by 18 at the half, Baylor rallied to win 66-63.And then last weekend as the No. 9 team, former Miami transfer guard Manu Lecomte scored 24 points and the Bears rallied in the second half to beat then-No. 7 Xavier 76-61 at home. It was the first time Baylor has ever won a matchup of top-10 teams.Rankings dont matter, said junior forward Johnathan Motley, their leading scorer and rebounder (16.3 points, 8.1 rebounds per game). Were just going to step between those lines and handle business.The Bears, with three wins over top 10 teams in the same season for the first time ever, are in an extended break during final exams before playing at home Wednesday against Southern. They will be overwhelming favorites for all four games remaining before their Big 12 opener Dec. 30 at Oklahoma. That inclludes a game at Fort Hood, the second year in a row playing for soldiers at one of the nations largest Army posts only about an hour from their campus.ddddddddddddAfter their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last season, the Bears lost three seniors -- Taurean Prince, the 12th overall pick in the NBA draft; Rico Gathers, the career rebounding leader now trying to become an NFL tight end on the Dallas Cowboys practice squad; and two-year starting guard Lester Medford.Lecomte, who was born in Belgium, practiced with the Bears and ran with the scout team last season. He is now averaging 13.9 points a game, with 42 assists and only 17 turnovers.Normally during a sit-out year, a transfer year, players tend to look really good. Thats because they have no pressure, they get to run scout team, they get to get all the shots, coaches arent yelling at them, Drew said. So we always temper expectations and thoughts on those players until they show it in games, and Manus definitely proving what we saw in practice was reality.Jo Lual-Acuil, a 7-footer who also sat out last season after transferring from a junior college, is averaging 9.4 points and 7.8 rebounds for Baylor. Nuni Omot, a 6-9 junior college transfer, could make his Baylor debut during the Christmas break after being academically ineligible during the fall semester.Lecomte insisted that he didnt hear the We want Kansas! chants from the home fans during the closing minutes of the victory over Xavier. Baylor doesnt play the third-ranked Jayhawks until February.We know what you did doesnt define what youre going to do, Drew said. We know its a race to improve each and every day, and be at the best at the end of the season. Hopefully were staying humble and were staying hungry.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '