Lucas Herbert continued to dominate the Australian Open after the second round, holding a four-stroke lead with a total of 14-under 129. The tournament, being played at Kingston Heath, saw American Ryggs Johnston in second place and Elvis Smylie tied for third after shooting an impressive 64. However, Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, struggled in the second round, falling eight strokes behind Herbert.
On the women’s side, Hyojin Yang took the lead at the Women’s Australian Open with a two-round total of 9-under 136, leading by a stroke. Jiyai Shin was tied for second place after a solid performance. Hannah Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, finished strong with two birdies to secure fourth place, just two strokes behind the leader.
Defending champions Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai had mixed results, with Niemann sitting at 4-under and Buhai at 4-under, five strokes behind the leader. LPGA Tour regular Minjee Lee struggled with a 74, while her brother Min Woo Lee, a PGA Tour player, had a solid round of 69.
The tournament is being played at two courses on the Melbourne sand belt, with alternating tee times and equal prize money for both the men’s and women’s events. While Herbert and Yang currently lead their respective fields, the competition is far from over as players head into the weekend at Kingston Heath. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting golf action from the Australian Open.
