A second spherical rally from world No.5 Minjee Lee did not materialise on the Australian Open as 2013 champion and former world No.i Jiyai Shin confirmed all her class to take the lead in Sydney.
Teenage amatuer Rachel Lee matched birdies with bogeys after her gorgeous opening however will nonetheless have a late Saturday tee time for transferring day with defending champion Ashleigh Buhai from South Africa additionally effectively poised to go back-to-back.
Korean Shin, a two-time main champion, was near-flawless on Friday, registering only a single bogey amongst 5 birdies in her spherical of four-under 68 as he took a two-shot lead over Buhai who sizzled within the morning session.
Buahi, who snared final 12 months’s title on the Victoria Golf Membership in Melbourne, added a second spherical of three-under 70 to her opening 68 to get to seven-under for the event and looms as a ket participant once more.
BUt amid expectations of a climb up the leaderboard after a gentle opening, Minjee Lee faltered badly on the greens, lacking makeable birdie putts and a few errant iron play resulted in 4 bogeys and a three-over par spherical of 75 which left her at one-under for the event, .. pictures behind Shin.
Minjee did not catch fireplace at any stage, in contrast to her brother Min Woo who stormed to the highest of the boys’s leaderboard on the dual-gender occasion, and has loads of floor to make up if she’s to grab her first Australian Open crown.
Buhai, who performed at The Lakes on Friday, thought she was getting the “simpler” course however will take quite a lot of confidence in to the ultimate two rounds, each being performed at The Australian the place she opened her event.
“It’s bizarre. I believed this one could be simpler in the present day, however I nonetheless made some errors, simply reduce too many corners,” she mentioned.
“I imply, there have been solely two entrance pins on the entire golf course so you actually should get all the way in which again. I don’t know, it’s laborious to say.
“However I’m feeling good to date this week. I’ve taken it simple I feel, I’m staying with household so form of after I return, fully swap off. I’ve acquired my niece and nephew operating round and it’s simply been a enjoyable week and I’m blissful.”
AUSTRALIAN OPEN LEADERBOARD
(Australian until acknowledged)
10-under – Jiyai Sin (Kor)
7-under – Ashleigh Buhai (Sth Af)
6-under – Jenny Shin (Kor)
5-under – Rachel Lee (a)