Australian Open 2023 LIVE updates: Smith, Davis and the Lee siblings begin their rounds

So, here’s how the leaderboard looks midway through the second round.

Men’s:
-12: Min Woo Lee
-9: Connor Syme (SCO), Patrick Rodgers (USA).
-8: Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN).
-7: Lars Van Meijel (NED), Alex Fitzpatrick (ENG), Jeffrey Guan, Sam Jones (NZL), Rikuya Hoshino (JPN), Ryo Hisatsune (JPN), David Horsey (ENG), Hayden Hopewell.
-6: Nicolo Galletti (USA), Alexander Levy (FRA), Matt Jones, Lucas Herbert, Laurie Canter, Yuto Katsuragawa (JPN), Grant Forrest (SCO), Jak Carter, Elvis Smylie, Sam Brazel.

Women’s:
-8: Jiyai Shin (KOR)
-7: Ashleigh Buhai (RSA)
-6: Jenny Shin (KOR), Rachel Lee (a).
-4: Justice Bosio (a).
-3: Sarah Hammett (a), Caitlin Pierce (a)
-2: Grace Kim, Eila Galitsky (THA).

Well, what a day it has been for the second round of the Australian Open.

We shouldn’t be surprised, but Min Woo Lee stole the show again in the men’s event to take a commanding three-shot lead late into Friday.

And former world No.1 Jiyai Shin and South Africa’s defending champion Ashleigh Buhai have left Australia’s best of Minjee Lee, Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou and Hannah Green plenty of work to do in the women’s event.

Thanks again for joining us and be sure to keep an eye out for all of our coverage across the rest of the weekend.

Min Woo Lee was the star of the show again.Credit: Getty

We have a new leader in the women’s event with Korea’s Jiyai Shin now taking control at eight under with just a couple of holes left to play at The Australian. She’s made birdie on 16 and the corporate tents behind the green are loving it.

While her brother has been lighting it up a group ahead all afternoon, it’s been a battle for Minjee Lee. She’s squandered another shot on 17 and has had to sign for a two-over 74 in her second round after par on the last.

She’s at one under for the tournament and a long way from the Shins (Jenny is third at six under).

Former world No.1 Jiyai Shin.Credit: Getty

I’m still shaking my head at that shot.

It’s almost like he just waits for the big occasion: last hole, increasing galleries, one of his main rivals struggling to stay in touch. And then he just goes bang.

No surprise, Lee virtually has a tap in for eagle and he makes it to finish his round at seven-under 65 and 12 under for the tournament. There’s just a little fist pump too. He knows how big that might be in the wash-up.

As it stands right now, he has a three shot lead on the rest of the field, headed by Scotland’s Connor Syme.

Cameron Smith had to stand and watch Lee’s ridiculous approach into the green for two, and then left his own just short, diving into the bunker protecting the front of the green.

He gets up and down for birdie to finish at three under for his round and four under for the tournament. A decent, if not scrappy, day’s work.

But how can he possibly keep pace with Lee, eight shots to the good?

You have to be kidding, right?

Min Woo Lee has saved arguably the shot of the day for the last hole, a stupendous second into the par five 18th out of the bark, which skips on the green, checks and then curves delightfully towards the hole. He’ll have nothing more than two feet for eagle.

Wow. Just wow.

One player we haven’t mentioned a great deal so far today is Marc Leishman, who had a rollercoaster of a day.

He dropped three shots within four holes mid-way through his round, but that’s been offset by an eagle and three birdies. Keeping up?

It’s been a fruitful fortnight for Leishman. He finished the Australian PGA in style last week and the hot weather has also helped with his beer sales of Leishman Lager.

He’s at three under for the tournament and should be making the weekend. As the great Sir Alex Ferguson used to say, it’s squeaky bum time (ie. no time to drop your guard).

And what about at 17? Oh dear.

Cameron Smith has now dropped a shot and is back to three under for the tournament. His putter is just not working at the moment.

He should be fine to make the cut, but a double bogey up the last (which has water) would jeopardise that.

Marc Leishman in action.Credit: Getty

We have all added commentary to our golf shots or backyard sporting achievements but rarely do the pros get a live call as they’re going about their business.

Min Woo Lee got a taste when he stood over a putt at the 16th hole to take the outright lead and as the crowd hushed, a loud TV could still be heard from the corporate suites.

“Min Woo Lee … for the outright lead,” came the clear call.

Lee stepped away, smiled and gave a shush to the stand. The TV was turned down and he curled in the putt for a birdie. The crowd went wild.

What must go through a golfer’s mind?

You can’t believe what’s happening to Cameron Davis today. From a 63 yesterday, he’s now four-over on his round through 13 holes at The Australian and is plunging down the leaderboard.

While just a couple of holes ahead, that man is at it again. Min Woo Lee has just poured in another birdie at the 16th hole and is now the solo leader in the men’s tournament.

How good is he to watch?

We have a new leader (alright, co-leader) in the men’s event.

No surprises for guessing it’s Min Woo Lee, who makes birdie on the par five 14th hole alongside Cameron Smith. Lee joins Scotsman Connor Syme in a share of the lead and I don’t think he’s going to stop there.

There’s some major drama with another Lee (how many good golfers can carry that last name?), this time schoolgirl Rachel, who has completely flown the back of the green at the 18th hole, her ninth of the day.

She hasn’t just missed it by a few metres, it’s deadset cannoned 30 metres behind the dance floor and onto the middle of the first. How did that not take anyone out standing in the gallery? She eventually signs for a bogey six.

Meanwhile, over at the 15th Smith is not happy with his birdie putt, which never looked on line and slid below the hole by a considerable margin. That was in his range. How’s the old saying go? Never up, never in.

He taps in for par and remains at four-under for the tournament, a couple of shots clear of the projected cut.

It’s a hard game, golf.

Two of the stars on the opening day, Cameron Davis and Minjee Lee, are in reverse today. Davis, who shot an incredible nine under 63 at The Lakes yesterday, is currently three over on his round through 12 holes and now back to six under for the tournament.

Lee has dropped two shots on her round through 13 holes and has slipped to one under for the tournament.

Much like yesterday, playing early at The Lakes has been the big advantage as scoring gets much tougher in the afternoon at The Australian.

LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann (-8), a former world No.15, is primed to win his first event in Australia after a neat three-under 69 at The Lakes this morning.

But after his round, he spent more than 10 minutes with playing partner Aaron Baddeley chatting to a rules official over the group’s pace of play.

Chilean Niemann said he was unaware he was being timed in the closing holes of his round, in particular on his tee shot into the par three seventh as the breeze swirled. He only narrowly avoided a penalty.

“I’m not used to this tour,” Niemann said. “It’s a different tour and they’ve got different rules. Our group was a little bit slow. Since [hole] 15 [Niemann started on the back nine], a rules official came to us and said we’re starting to be monitored. That didn’t mean we were going to be on the clock.

“It was basically a warning, but since No.1, we didn’t know at the time, we were starting to be timed. But he never came to us and said, ‘you guys are being timed, if you take a long time you’re going to be penalised’. It’s unfortunate because I didn’t know how the rule works.

“The referee could be a bit more friendly. Aaron Baddeley didn’t know the rules. It’s still a slow game. Maybe I should be a little faster, but it was a trick shot [on hole seven] with weird wind and a weird number.”

Joaquin Niemann lines up a putt at The Lakes.Credit: Getty