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As a \u201ccentre-of-attention kind of person\u201d, Min Woo Lee admits he plays his best golf when the galleries are big, he\u2019s peppering the pins and then hamming up with the crowd.<\/p>\n
But as Australia\u2019s rising star of golf surged to the outright lead of the Australian Open at the halfway mark, we discovered even Lee has a limit for the spotlight.<\/p>\n
As Lee stood over a putt at the 16th green at the Australian, a hush fell over the beer-drinking corporates, but a TV continued blaring from the stand with loud commentary. Like a kid might say in the backyard, Lee could hear the commentator\u2019s call of \u201cMin Woo Lee for the outright lead\u201d clear as day.<\/p>\n
He withdrew with a smile, shushed the stands and then stepped back and drained the birdie putt. The crowd went wild. With an eagle on the 18th two holes later, Lee finished his sizzling seven-under par round of 64, and took a three-shot lead over Scotland\u2019s Connor Syme.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew when the other boys were putting, you could hear the commentary before, and just before I went in it was my sister (a hole behind) hitting a putt or a chip or something,\u201d Lee said. \u201cThen it\u2019s like \u2018Min Woo for the outright lead\u2019, and I was about to hit the ball. It was a funny moment, it worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee was a shining star in a second round of mixed fortunes for Australia, in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments.<\/p>\n
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Jiyai Shin drives on her way to a second-round 68 at The Australian on Friday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n His sister Minjee Lee has lots of work to do to contend after a three-over par round of 75, leaving her nine shots behind Korean leader Jiyai Shin. Sydney schoolgirl Rachel Lee, who was the overnight leader, had a tougher day with a seven-over 79, and slipped down the leaderboard.<\/p>\n In the men\u2019s, overnight leader Cam Davis also went backwards with a three-over 74. Like in the women\u2019s, foreign stars made their move on day two, with America\u2019s Patrick Rodgers (-9), Chilean Joaquin Niemann (-8) and Jhonattan Vegas (-8) all making their move to the top of the leaderboard.<\/p>\n Battling Open champion Cameron Smith looked in danger of missing a second consecutive cut early in his round, but five birdies mixed with two bogeys was enough to shoot 68 and keep him safe.<\/p>\n Min Woo Lee jokes with Cam Smith on the seventh hole at The Australian on Friday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n They\u2019re all chasing Lee in the men\u2019s tournament. After Syme took the lead in friendly conditions at The Lakes early in the day, Lee emerged to huge galleries at The Australian and – after a wobbling bogey on the brutal first hole – had them roaring with regularity.<\/p>\n The world No.38 chipped in from a bunker on the fourth for his first birdie, and then defied the windy Kensington conditions to bag another five – and then the superb eagle on the 18th. Lee is well positioned to win back-to-back tournaments for the first time in senior golf, after claiming the Australian PGA Championships last week.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was unreal. I didn\u2019t think we could beat last week\u2019s crowds gut we have already nearly done it before the weekend. It is really fun and mist of my golf has been really fun because of the crowd and the support,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just the type of golf I play. I am not that serious. Sometimes you play good, sometimes you play bad and right now, I am playing good. I am having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron Smith teeing off at the first with huge galleries.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Smith had another frustrating day where putts refused to drop, but he did enough to make the cut and stay alive.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a lot better out there today and it could have been way less, to be honest,\u201d Smith said. \u201cGolf is a hard game for me at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s near decade-long drought in the women\u2019s event is poised to continue after overseas stars took control of the tournament during the second round.<\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s former world No.1 Shin (-9) holds a two-shot buffer heading into the weekend after a four-under 68, topping South African defending champion Ashleigh Buhai (-7) and American Jenny Shin (-6).<\/p>\n The high-profile homegrown hopes of Grace Kim (-2), Steph Kyriacou (-1), Lee (E) and Hannah Green (E) were all left floundering after none could break par at either The Lakes or The Australian on Friday.<\/p>\n Lee struggled to a three-over 75 playing a group behind younger brother Min Woo.<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b>\u00a0Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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