Australian Open: Kerrie Webb crashes out as Jin Young Ko holds steady

Korea’s Jin Young Ko wasn’t getting strung out at the prospect of a wire-to-wire win in the Australian Open.

Korea’s Jin Young Ko holds a three-shot lead at the halfway mark of the Australian Open at Kooyonga Golf Club. Picture: Sarah Reed

Karrie Webb missed the cut at the Australian Open, while Korea’s Jin Young Ko wasn’t getting strung out at the prospect of a wire-to-wire win at Kooyonga Golf Club.

Ko will take a three-shot buffer into the third round after keeping her overnight lead yesterday with a composed three-under-par 69 to add to her 65 on day one.

Ko is 10-under overall with American Emma Talley next best at seven-under. But Webb crashed in her bid to claim a sixth national title.

Starting her second round at two-under, Webb birdied her opening hole yesterday but the wheels fell off en route to a six-over 78, which included a double bogey and five bogeys, to leave her four shots outside the cut line.

The 43-year-old Queenslander is playing her first LPGA tournament since last September as she transitions to a part-time playing schedule.

Webb has missed the cut in four of her past five LPGA tournaments since August’s British Open.

The best-placed Australians entering today’s third round are Minjee Lee — the world No 17 is the top-ranked local in the field — and Stephanie Na, both at two-under. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is also two-under.

Australian Hannah Green had moved to five-under at one stage yesterday before a late collapse. She bogeyed her last four holes to finish one-under.

The pacesetting Ko is an 11-time tournament winner — 10 on the Korean Tour and another in a LPGA co-sanctioned event last year in her homeland. And, tellingly for the 22-year-old, one of those victories was a wire-to-wire triumph.

“So I know how I can do it,” said Ko, who was the 2015 British Open runner-up. “I like this course style.

“Korean courses (are) more long and narrow ... but here is wider, so stress is less.”

Ko’s Korean compatriots feature prominently on the leaderboard after 36 holes.

Jiyai Shin, who won the 2013 Australian Open, and Sun Young Yoo are equal third at six-under.

Another Korean, Hyejin Choi, is a further two shots back at four-under, while defending champion Ha Na Jang is among a bunch of golfers at three-under.

AAP