Leader Sergas is on same wave-length as the course

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Giulia Sergas leads the Handa Women’s Australian Open at Melbourne’s Commonwealth course by three shots - all thanks to an unusual approach to the game.
The 30-year-old, who today shot a bogey-free, four-under 69, revealed she talks to the course to get her through each tournament.
“I try to establish a relationship with the golf course,” she said.
“We talk to each other and if you listen well and you don’t get caught up in your emotion, then the golf course really talks to you.
“When it is a difficult course like this, you really have to pay attention what it is saying at the moment.”
Sergas, on seven-under-par 136, leads South Korean teenagers, He-Yong Choi and Soo-Jin Yang who are both on 4 under. A shot further back is Karrie Webb, Rebecca Flood and Austrian Stefanie Michl.
While talking to the course is one thing, Sergas also does handstands mid-round to help an ailing back.
“It helps my back and pops. When I really concentrate and do it properly, it helps my back tremendously,” she said.
Sergas said her back is so bad that she does the handstand to put it in a type of traction. She does the handstand and her understanding caddy, Lee Griffith, then holds her feet. She does a type of push up to relieve the pressure on her vertebrae.
“I really was embarrassed at the beginning but then people just laughed so I am okay with it,” she said.
Last week’s ANZ Ladies Masters winner, Karrie Webb, who is more accustomed to jumping into creeks after a victory, bounced back today with a 70. It was an improvement on Thursday’s roller coaster even par round but still it could have been better. She three-putted the 13th for her only bogey of the day.
“I threw one away on 13 which was very disappointing, but you know it is Friday, if that happens on a Sunday you are kicking yourself,” she said.
“The first one was a bad putt and the second one was just lazy, there was a pitch mark in front of me and I didn’t take the time to fix it.”
Just four shots back at the halfway mark does not phase the 35-year-old.
“The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend and four shots is not much to make up,” she said.
Overnight leader Laura Davies, who followed an opening 68 with a 76, is in a tie for seventh with Katherine Hull and amateur Alison Whittaker, after a 3 over 76 today.
World No 7 Yani Tseng, Kent-born Australian Lindsey Wright, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and England's Felicity Johnson rounded out the top ten at one under for the tournament.
SCOTSWATCH: Three of the four Scots in the field survived the halfway cut at 152 or better.
The odd one out was Vikki Laing who followed an opening 77 with an 83 for 160. LPGA Tour player Janice Moodie and Krystle Caithness both made it through on 151, Janice with rounds of 76 and 75, Krystle with a 74 plus a 77. Lynn Kenny had nothing to spare with 74 and 78 for 152.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73)
1 Giulia Sergas 70 69 -- -- 139
T2 He-Yong Choi 73 69-- -- 142
T2 Soo-Jin Yang 70 72 -- -- 142
T4 Rebecca Flood 70 73 -- -- 143
T4 Stefanie Michl 71 72 -- -- 143
T4 Karrie Webb 73 70 -- -- 143
T7 Laura Davies 68 76 -- -- 144
T7 Katherine Hull 72 72 -- -- 144
T7 Alison Whitaker (amateur) 70 74 -- -- 144
T10 Felicity Johnson 70 75 -- -- 145
T10 Anna Nordqvist 75 70 -- -- 145
T10 Yani Tseng 74 71 -- -- 145
T10 Lindsey Wright 71 74 -- -- 145
T14 Jenni Kuosa E 70 76 -- -- 146
T14 Stacy Lewis 75 71 -- -- 146
T14 Alexis Thompson (amateur) 71 75 -- -- 146
T17 Christel Boeljon 72 75 -- -- 147
T17 Frances Bondad 74 73 -- -- 147
T17 Rebecca Brewerton 77 70 -- -- 147
T17 Karine Icher 72 75 -- -- 147
T17 Hyun-Soo Kim (amateur) 78 69 -- -- 147
T17 Marianne Skarpnord 75 72 -- -- 147
T23 Shin-Ae Ahn 78 70 -- -- 148
T23 Elizabeth Bennett 73 75 -- -- 148
T23 Michelle Ellis 75 73 -- -- 148
T23 Sophie Gustafson 75 73 -- -- 148
T23 Mina Harigae 74 74 -- -- 148
T23 Vicky Hurst 72 76 -- -- 148
T23 Lorie Kane 73 75 -- -- 148
T23 Stacey Keating (amateur) 76 72 -- -- 148
T23 Ha-Neul Kim 73 75-- -- 148
T23 Azahara Munoz 76 72 -- -- 148
T23 Melissa Reid 72 76 -- -- 148
T23 Sarah-Jane Smith 77 71 -- -- 148
T23 Marjet van der Graaff 73 75 -- -- 148
T36 Bettina Hauert 77 72 -- -- 149
T36 Jeong Jang 76 73 -- -- 149
T36 Kym Larratt 73 76 -- -- 149
T36 Stephanie Na 76 73 -- -- 149
T36 Sarah Oh 72 77 -- -- 149
T36 You-Na Park 75 74 -- -- 149
T36 Louise Stahle 75 74 -- -- 149
T43 Rachel Bailey 73 77 -- -- 150
T43 Tamara Beckett 74 76 -- -- 150
T43 Emma Bennett 78 72 -- -- 150
T43 Tamie Durdin 76 74 -- -- 150
T43 Riikka Hakkarainen 72 78 -- -- 150
T43 Bo-Mee Lee 77 73 -- -- 150
T43 Anna Oh 78 72 -- -- 150
T43 Nina Reis 74 76 -- -- 150
T43 Hee-Kyung Seo 72 78 -- -- 150
T43 Kristie Smith 72 78 -- -- 150
T53 Caroline Afonso 78 73 -- -- 151
T53 Leanne Bowditch 78 73 -- -- 151
T53 Krystle Caithness 74 77 -- -- 151
T53 Diana D'Alessio 7774 -- -- 151
T53 Wendy Doolan 79 72 -- -- 151
T53 Sandra Gal 77 74 -- -- 151
T53 Ran Hong 77 74 -- -- 151
T53 Rebecca Hudson 74 77 -- -- 151
T53 Janice Moodie 76 75 -- -- 151
T53 Su Hyun Oh (amateur) 79 72 -- -- 151
T53 Titiya Plucksataporn 78 73 -- -- 151
T53 Iben Tinning 77 74 -- -- 151
T53 Sophie Walker 76 75 -- -- 151
T66 Bree Arthur 76 76 -- -- 152
T66 Cathryn Bristow 75 77 -- -- 152
T66 Tania Elosegui 77 75 -- -- 152
T66 Lynn Kenny 74 78 -- -- 152
T66 Christina Kim 78 74 -- -- 152
T66 Sarah Nicholson 76 76 -- -- 152
T66 Bree Turnbull 74 78 -- -- 152
T66 Veronica Zorzi 79 73 -- -- 152
MISSED THE CUT
Jeong Eun Lee 77 76 - 153
Becky Morgan 77 76 - 153
Ursula Wikstrom 77 76 - 153
Georgina Simpson 77 76 - 153
Hanna-Leena Salonen 76 77 -153
Amanda Blumenherst 77 76 - 153
Ashleigh Simon 77 76 - 153
Pernilla Lindberg 77 76 - 153
Vicky Thomas 76 77 - 153
Hazel Kavanagh 76 77 - 153
Jessica Ji 76 77 - 153
Dana Lacey 76 77 - 153
Emma Cabrera-Bello 79 75 -- 154
Anne-Lise Caudal 78 76 -- 154
Rebecca Coakley 77 77 -- 154
Nikki Garrett 76 78 -- 154
Lydia Hall 76 78 -- 154
Leah Hart 75 79 -- 154
Sarah Kemp 75 79 -- 154
Virginie Lagoutte-Clement 77 77 -- 154
Lee-Anne Pace 79 75 -- 154
Florentyna Parker 76 78 -- 154
Hannah Ralph 75 79 -- 154
Melanie Bryden 78 77 -- 155
Mi-Sun Cho 77 78 -- 155
Kate Combes 78 77 -- 155
Sophie Giquel 77 78 -- 155
Justine Lee (amateur) 75 80 -- 155
Bronwyn Mullins 78 77 --- 155
Jessica Noh 78 77 -- 155
Zoe Brake (amateur) 80 76 -- 156
Meaghan Francella 78 78 -- 156
Julie Greciet 78 78 -- 156
Caroline Rominger 74 82 -- 156
Linda Wessberg 78 78 -- 156
Danielle Bowers 76 81 -- 157
Hye Youn Kim 79 78 -- 157
Ji-Na Lim 79 78 -- 157
Alison Walshe 80 77 -- 157
Carmen Alonso 83 75 -- 158
Jane Kim 75 83 -- 158
Taylor Leon 77 81 -- 158
Karen Lunn 79 79 -- 158
Bo Mi Suh 79 79 -- 158
Chae Young Yoon 79 79 -- 158
Beth Allen 80 79 -- 159
Carlie Butler 82 77 -- 159
Breanne Loucks 77 82 -- 159
Joanne Mills 74 85 -- 159
Ashley Ona (amateur) 77 82 -- 159
Vikki Tutt 80 79-- 159
Mianne Bagger 80 80 -- 160
Bo-Kyung Kim 81 79 -- 160
Vikki Laing 77 83 -- 160
Julia Boland (amateur) 80 81 -- 161
Stacy Lee Bregman 82 79 --- 161
Lisa Jean 85 76 -- 161
Elissa Orr (amateur) 78 83 -- 161
Karen Pearce 81 80 -- 161
Verity Knight 82 80 -- 162
Gwladys Nocera 84 78 -- 162
Ellen Davies-Graham (amateur) 81 82 -- 163
Jessica Speechley (amateur) 8083 -- 163
Katy Jarochowicz 83 81 -- 164
Jayde Panos (amateur) 82 82 -- 164
Sunny Park 79 85-- 164
Wendy Berger 84 81 -- 165
Jody Fleming 86 79 -- 165
Stacy Tate 81 84 -- 165
Angela Tatt 86 79 -- 165
Tamara Hyett 84 83 -- 167
Helen Oh 84 84 -- 168
Cherie Byrnes 84 87 -- 171
Nicole Montgomery 89 83 -- 172
Martina Eberl -- -- -- 81
Whitney Hillier (amateur)-- 85
Jan Stephenson -- -- -- 82