Lucas Herbert has taken command of the Australian Open, building a impressive four-shot lead after firing a 66 in Friday’s second round at Kingston Heath.
The Australian sits at 14-under through 36 holes, playing some of his best golf despite tricky conditions.
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“It was pretty windy and there were some tricky tee shots on that back nine,” Herbert said after closing with three straight birdies. “I’m really proud of those last three or four holes there.”
American Ryggs Johnston holds second place after shooting 68 at Victoria Golf Club.
Last week’s Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie made a big move with a sizzling 64 at Kingston Heath. He’s tied for third, five shots off the pace.
This year’s tournament has a unique format, with men and women playing simultaneously across two of Melbourne’s famous sandbelt courses – Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club. They’re using alternating tee times and offering equal prize money for both events.
Cameron Smith, the 2022 champion, had a rough day. After his group got warned for slow play, things went south quickly – he made three bogeys and a double bogey on his back nine.
“We got on the clock there and it didn’t seem like we were playing that slow,” Smith said. “Made some really poor choices mentally.”
In the women’s event, 17-year-old South Korean amateur Hyojin Yang has taken everyone by surprise. She birdied her final hole at Kingston Heath to grab a one-shot lead at 9-under par.
Former world number one Jiyai Shin is hot on her heels after a solid 68.
Hannah Green, who won the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship, finished strong with two birdies to stay in contention, just two shots back.
Defending women’s champion Ashleigh Buhai has fought her way back into the mix. After falling nine shots behind in round one, she’s now just five off the lead at 4-under.
The weekend action moves entirely to Kingston Heath, where both championships will be decided.
