Local favourite Lucas Herbert extended his lead at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open to four shots at the halfway stage after producing two brilliant bursts of scoring in tricky conditions at Kingston Heath Golf Club on Friday afternoon.
Related: Late flourish leaves Lucas Herbert in advantage at Australian Open
Three-time DP World Tour winner Herbert began the day with a slender one-shot lead following Thursday’s 63 over at Victoria Golf Club. And he continued to entertain his home crowds on Day Two, flying out of the blocks with an eagle and two birdies in the first three holes of his second round.
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But as the wind got stronger, six successive pars followed before Herbert surrendered his first bogey of the week on the tenth, where a clutch 12-foot putt prevented further damage.
That cut his advantage to a single shot and although he got into yet more trouble at the 12th, he managed to save par from six feet to remain out in front. A hat-trick of birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th then handed him a healthy lead as he signed for a stunning 66 to reach 14 under par at the midway mark.
Herbert’s nearest challenger was American Ryggs Johnston, after the rookie recovered from a slow start at Victoria Golf Club to sign for a 68 and reach ten under.
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Last week’s winner Elvis Smylie is a shot further back, alongside American pair Harry Higgs and Jordan Gumberg, Finland’s Oliver Lindell, England’s Matt Southgate and Austrian Lukas Nemecz.
This week’s event incorporates three tournaments – the men’s and women’s Australian Opens and the Australian All Abilities Championship.
In the women’s event, amateur Hyojin Yang of Korea has a one-shot lead at nine under par, while Korea’s Simon Seungmin Lee holds a six shot lead over World Number One Kipp Popert of England going into the final round of the Australian All Abilities Championship.
Player Quotes
Lucas Herbert: Yeah, very happy. I thought it was funny, I played pretty good yesterday, just didn’t really putt that well and then felt like I putted really well today, scrambled really well and the rest of the game was sort of off. It was like two days of polar opposites to have good scores. So yeah, it was nice for my putting to turn up when I needed it.
I’m really proud of those last three or four holes there. 16, tee shot’s, not an easy one. 18 tee shot, not an easy one under the circumstances and I thought I handled them really, really well. So yeah, very, very nice.
I don’t know Victoria as well, but Kingston Heath, I’ve played here so many times. Pughy (his caddie) walked the course earlier in the week and I’m almost telling him how to play this golf course after he’s done all the preparation you could possibly do.
So yeah, feel super comfortable out here. Feel like I know a lot of lines off tees and how little shots play here and there and just a lot of, I’m going to say quirks, but lots of little local knowledge things that you need to kind of know around this course with different pins and different winds and that kind of stuff. So I feel quite comfortable that I’ve played enough here that I know most of them.
