Lucas Herbert leads Australian Open; Cam Smith struggles after group warned for slow play

MELBOURNE, Australia — Lucas Herbert again led the way after the second round of the Australian Open while 17-year-old South Korean amateur Hyojin Yang birdied her final hole to take the lead at the Women’s Australian Open being played concurrently at two courses on the famed Melbourne sand belt.

The tournaments are using alternating tee times — and with level prize money for the second consecutive year — at the par-72 Kingston Heath (par-73 for the Women’s Open) and par-71 Victoria Golf Club.

First-round leader Herbert shot 66 Friday at Kingston Heath for a two-round total of 14-under 129 and had a four-stroke stroke lead heading into the weekend, when only Kingston Heath will be in play.

Herbert had three birdies in a row on the back nine but said he was scrambling.

“It was pretty windy and there was some tricky tee shots on that back nine,” Herbert said. “I’m really proud of those last three or four holes there.”

American Ryggs Johnston was in second place after a 68 at Victoria. Elvis Smylie, who won last week’s Australian PGA championship at Royal Queensland, shot 64 at Kingston Heath and was tied for third, five strokes behind Herbert.

Fellow Australian and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith shot 72 at Kingston Heath and had a bad run on his back nine after his group which included Smylie was warned for slow play. Smith was eight strokes behind his fellow LIV Golf teammate Herbert after two rounds.

Smith had bogeys at 10, 12 and 15 as well as a double bogey at 16 on the Kingston Heath course that will host the 2028 Presidents Cup.

“We got on the clock there and it didn’t seem like we were playing that slow, and it felt like we were just rushing,” Smith said. “Made some really poor choices mentally, I think, led to a few bogeys. You, kind of, get on that train in that wind and it’s not a good spot to be in.”

Defending men’s champion Joaquin Niemann had a 66 Friday at Victoria and was at 4-under, 10 strokes behind.

In the Women’s Australian Open, Yang shot 71 at Kingston Heath and had a two-round total of 9-under 136 to lead by a stroke. Jiyai Shin was tied for second after a 68 at Kingston Heath.

Hannah Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, finished with two birdies for a 71 at Victoria and was two strokes behind in fourth.

“It was nice to at least finish with two par-5s and be able to get two birdies to finish on a positive note and good momentum going into the weekend,” Green said.

Defending women’s champion Ashleigh Buhai shot 68 and was at 4 under, five strokes behind. At one point in the first round the South African player had fallen nine strokes out of the lead.

LPGA Tour regular Minjee Lee shot 74 at Victoria and was at 3-over while her brother, PGA Tour player Min Woo Lee, had a 69 at Victoria and was at 3 under.