Human highlights reel Min Woo Lee has lit up Royal Melbourne to maneuver inside a shot of the lead as his celebrity taking part in associate Rory McIlroy briefly threatened to overlook the midway minimize on a dramatic day two of the Australian Open.
The stand-out second of Lee’s second spherical got here when he holed out with a long-range strategy shot for eagle on the par-4 tenth, elevating each arms in triumph.
4 holes later, McIlroy endured his lowest level when he had a uncommon air swing after his tee shot completed up underneath a ti-tree.
The Northern Irishman escaped with a one-putt bogey on the second best gap on the course and briefly slipped beneath the minimize line.
“Truthfully I am unable to bear in mind the final time I had a fresh-air shot,” McIlroy mentioned.
“Not considered one of my best moments.”
However McIlroy confirmed his class to birdie three of the final 4 holes, signing for a three-under 68 to make the minimize by three pictures at two underneath.
Lee had 4 birdies to go along with his hole-out eagle in a flawless six-under 65, which had him in outright third spot at eight underneath, a single shot behind Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (66) and Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues, who carded the day’s low spherical of 64.
Most of Australia’s huge weapons are within the thick of the motion going into the weekend motion, headed by Lee.
Former Masters champion Adam Scott (66) rolled in a clutch par putt on the 18th to hitch countryman Cameron Smith (65) and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz in a tie for fourth at seven underneath.
After a string of missed cuts in 2025 — together with in any respect 4 majors — Smith loved considered one of his finest days of a tough 12 months.
The 2022 British Open champion roared into rivalry for a primary Australian Open title, capping off a fantastic day with a curling birdie putt on the 18th.
Rising Danish star Neergaard-Petersen locked into the sandbelt mindset as he took a share of the lead.
Contemporary off a profitable first full 12 months on the DP World Tour, Neergaard-Petersen picked up 4 pictures in three holes early in his second spherical on Friday and added two additional birdies coming house to signal for a 66.
“It makes a distinction, definitely understanding what to anticipate,” mentioned the Dane, who has performed a number of latest rounds at close by Peninsula-Kingswood along with his shut pal and DP World Tour colleague David Micheluzzi.
“The eagle I made as we speak, it is a type of pictures you are by no means usually eager about.
“I had a six iron and also you’re touchdown it 5 steps wanting the inexperienced. However that is among the pictures you have to hit right here.
“It is sort of moving into that sandbelt mindset, which I feel undoubtedly helped.”
