Lucas Herbert knows a four-shot lead halfway through the Australian open isn’t enough to think about victory

After so much talk about the Australian open courses being soft a rising wind and hard greens is enough to scare even the leader who is in front by four shots after two rounds.

Lucas Herbert is leading the Australian Open by four shots, (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

In 1965 South African legend Gary Player won the fourth of his staggering seven Australian Opens with what remains a record winning score of 28-under.

The next best, in the 120-year history of the tournament, is 20-under recorded by Arnold Palmer in 1966.

It takes legends to smash out such monstrous numbers but only the third winning score above 20-under could be within reach after Lucas Herbert defied increasingly difficult conditions to storm to a four-shot lead after the second round.

His total of 14-under is equal to the average winning score for the past five years, and he’s reached it at the halfway mark on the back of a second round six-under 66 to give the LIV star a big buffer after LIV teammate Cam Smith’s back-nine horror show resulted in a tumble down the leaderboard.

“I had 15 as a number in my head at the start of the day,” Herbert said.

“ I thought myself and Cam could play well and we could put some distance between the field and make it a fun weekend just the two of us.

Lucas Herbert now has a THREE shot lead 🔥#AusOpenGolfpic.twitter.com/osDq9W28qk

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 29, 2024

“Look liked he got off to a good start and maybe didn’t finish the way he liked. But I knew I had to stay aggressive, I knew it was going to get windy, so getting off to the good start helped.

“I’ve played this course so many times. Feel super comfortable out here, I feel like I know a lot of lines off tees .. I’m going to say quirks, but local knowledge things you need to know, with pins and winds.

“I feel like I have played enough here that I know most of them.”

American Ryggs Johnston is the closest to Herbert at 1o-under with Australian PGA winner Elvis Smylie at the top of a chasing pack of six players at nine-under following his second round eight-under 64 including a stunning final hole birdie.

Smith finds himself eight shots adrift, dropping five shots on his back-nine to card an even-par 72.

Driving greens and near aces 😎

Min Woo Lee cards a second round 69 (-2) to sit two shots above the cut line 🇦🇺#AusOpenGolf | @Minwoo27Leepic.twitter.com/ahHsk13XlR

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 29, 2024

Despite boasting such a big lead, Herbert, having lived in Melbourne and knowing what the changing conditions can do, and with rain expected on Saturday, said there was no way he was “in control” of the tournament, even expecting “a run” from Smith.

“I can’t expect to shoot 72, 72 and win this golf tournament,” he said.

“I’m expecting these guys behind me to make a charge. It’s starting to play like the sandbelt we know and love.

“We’ve got 36 holes on the sandbelt this weekend, the easiest trap to fall in to would be to think you have control of this tournament, it doesn’t take much to jump up and bite you.”

Originally published as Lucas Herbert knows a four-shot lead halfway through the Australian open isn’t enough to think about victory