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Lucas Herbert raced to a four-shot lead at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Friday as LIV Golf teammate Cameron Smith imploded on the back nine.
In the women’s event, South Korean teenager Yang Hyo-jin eclipsed a slew of big guns to stand out after a 71 left her nine under for the tournament.
The 17-year-old’s mettle will be put to the test this weekend with overall winners Shin Jiyai of South Korea, Australian Hannah Green and South African Ashleigh Buhai.
Shin is backed up alongside Australian judge Bosio, with Green still adrift. Buhai, the two-time defending champion, is tied for fifth, five points off the pace.
The mixed Australian Open involves men and women playing in alternating groups on the same courses.
Kingston Heath, in Melbourne’s famous sandbelt region, is the main venue for all four days, while Victoria Golf Club also hosted matches on the first two days.
The day’s leader, Herbert, opened with an eagle and two birdies and, although a bogey at the 10th proved a setback, he responded with three more birdies in a 66 to be 14 under.
That gave him a strong cushion in the second event of the 2025 DP World Tour season, ahead of American Ryggs Johnston, who made five consecutive birdies on his 68 to place outright second.
A group of six are a little further back, including Australian Elvis Smylie who won his first DP World Tour title at the Australian PGA Championship last week.
“I’ll be in the last group, that’s where I wanted to get to this weekend,” Herbert, a three-time winner on the European Tour, told reporters.
“But I’ve got 36 holes on the sandbelt (left). I’ve played a lot of golf at Kingston Heath. I think the easiest trap to fall into would be to think you have control of this tournament golf.”
While Herbert struggled as the wind picked up, Smith struggled.
The 2022 British Open champion, who was two behind after the first round, opened with an eagle then made three birdies on the front nine.
But as the gusts grew, his game abandoned him with three bogeys and a double bogey ruining his card, leaving him eight adrift.
“I made some really bad choices mentally, I think, and that led to a few bogeys,” Smith said.
“You get on this train in this wind and it’s not a good place to be.”
Alongside Smylie, the other big mover of the day was China’s Ding Wenyi who carded a bogey-free 64 to find himself six points clear.
Ding won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this year, earning him the right to play in next year’s Open Championship and Masters.
But he chose to turn professional instead, forgoing those exemptions.
A top-three finish in Melbourne would once again earn him a place at the British Open at Royal Portrush.
deputy/dan
