'I won at 46, so can you, Catriona,' 

says Jack Nicklaus

  Catriona Matthew driving at the Adelaide venue today. Courtesy of Getty Images

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE

From Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager

Jack Nicklaus, the most famous 46-year-old to ever have won a golf tournament, has given Catriona Matthew - 47 in August -  his full backing in her quest for a second ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open title.

Twenty years after she won the event at Yarra Yarra that kick-started her wonderful career, the North Berwick veteran is in the mix to win the tournament again on a packed leaderboard at The Grange in Adelaide.

Nicklaus, holder of a record 18 major titles, famously won the Masters in 1986 at the same age, and today offered Matthew his support to follow suit.

“Hang in there, Catriona, and don’t give up, finish strong! Everyone wrote me off at 46!” Nicklaus tweeted.

Mathew, who shares the lead at eight under with England’s Holly Clyburn, wasn’t daunted by her birth certificate a full 20 years after she won the Patricia Bridges Bowl at Yarra Yarra in 1996.

"I think that's the beauty of golf, you can play, it doesn't matter what your age is as long as you can hit the golf ball and still get it in the hole,'' she said. "Age isn't a barrier.''

China's Xi Yu Lin, Germany's Caroline Masson, South Korean Jenny Shin and Japan's Haru Nomura are next best at seven under after a day marked by tough afternoon conditions.

A host of elite players remain in contention, with local hopes headed by five-time winner Karrie Webb at six under, just two shots from the lead.

Webb played before enormous, adoring crowds in her first visit to play in Adelaide since she was a teenage amateur, but Australia's top-ranked player Minjee Lee endured a tough day and a 76 left her just inside the cut line at two over. 

World No.1 Lydia Ko is four shots back after a second-round 70, still nicely poised after what she regarded as a "tough day'' on the course.

Ko, the defending champion, said the breezy conditions made it tough to decide whether to attack or play safe. 

World No.9 Ha Na Jang, of South Korea, is three from the lead after a 70, and world No.11 Brooke MacKenzie Henderson, of Canada, also has remained in contention at three under.

First-round leader SooBin Kim fell away, adding a 77 to her opening course record 63, leaving her tied 11^th at four under.

Among those prominent players to miss the two-over-par cut were American Cheyenne Woods and England's Dame Laura Davies; 77 players will play into the weekend.

 Holly Clyburn in action at Adelaide today. Courtesy Getty Images(c).

A full wrap of stories and videos from day one are available at www.womensausopen.com and www.youtube.com/GolfAust, Golf Australia’s YouTube channel.

SCROLL DOWN A STORY OR TWO TO READ QUOTES FROM CATRIONA AND DETAILS ABOUT HER ROUND

For the full second-round scores see www.womensausopen.com/scores and for the third round draw, see www.womensausopen.com/tee-times

 

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

 

Website: www.WomensAusOpen.com

 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/WomensAusOpen and #WomensAusOpen, www.twitter.com/SouthAustralia, #SouthAustralia. #Adelaide

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WomensAusOpen

 

Video: www.youtube.com/golfaust

  ALL THE SCORES

T1	Holly Clyburn	71	65	.		.			136
T1	Catriona Matthew	67	69						136
T3	Caroline Masson	66	71						137
T3	Xiyu Lin	70	67						137
T3	Haru Nomura	69	68						137
T3	Jenny Shin	67	70						137
7	Karrie Webb	67	71						138
T8	Bertine Strauss	69	70						139
T8	Jiyai Shin	70	69						139
T8	Ha Na Jang	69	70						139
T11	Paula Reto	70	70						140
T11	Stacey Keating	70	70						140
T11	Danielle Kang	70	70						140
T11	Tiffany Joh	72	68						140
T11	Kylie Walker	70	70						140
T11	Lydia Ko	70	70						140
T11	Charley Hull	70	70	.					140
T11	Min Seo Kwak	69	71						140
T11	Beth Allen	69	71						140
T11	SooBin Kim	63	77						140
T21	Katherine Kirk	71	70						141
T21	Brooke Henderson	70	71						141
T23	Annie Park	70	72						142
T23	Eun Woo Choi	71	71						142
T23	Hannah Green	72	70						142
T23	Mo Martin	70	72						142
T23	Ryann O'Toole	70	72						142
T23	Dani Holmqvist	68	74						142
T23	P.K. Kongkraphan	67	75						142
T30	Daniela Iacobelli	70	73						143
T30	Kelly Tan	73	70						143
T30	Sarah Jane Smith	73	70						143
T30	Mina Harigae	73	70						143
T30	Ji Young Oh	75	68						143
T30	Ssu-Chia Cheng	71	72						143
T30	Nontaya Srisawang	73	70						143
T30	Cydney Clanton	70	73						143
T30	Camilla Lennarth	72	71						143
T39	Pernilla Lindberg	75	69						144
T39	Karine Icher	71	73						144
T39	Katie Burnett	72	72						144
T39	Whitney Hillier	73	71						144
T39	So Young Lee	69	75						144
T39	Jodi Ewart Shadoff	71	73						144
T39	Su-Hyun Oh	69	75						144
T39	Christine Song	73	71						144
T39	Gaby Lopez	70	74						144
T39	Georgia Hall	71	73						144
T39	Miki Sakai	74	70						144
T39	Becky Morgan	71	73						144
T39	Kana Nagai	70	74						144
T39	Luna Sobron	70	74						144
T53	Marion Ricordeau	72	73						145
T53	Jing Yan	74	71						145
T53	Nannette Hill	73	72						145
T53	Thidapa Suwannapura	71	74						145
T53	Florentyna Parker	72	73						145
T53	Sarah Kemp	72	73						145
T53	Minjee Lee	69	76						145
T53	Jennifer Song	72	73						145
T53	Chella Choi	71	74						145
T53	Lee Lopez	69	76						145
T53	Casey Grice	66	79						145
T53	Hye Jin Choi	67	78						145
T65	Ashlan Ramsey	75	71						146
T65	Mariajo Uribe	71	75						146
T65	Giulia Sergas	71	75						146
T65	Eun Jeong Seong	69	77						146
T65	Stephanie Kono	75	71						146
T65	Dori Carter	73	73						146
T65	M.J. Hur	74	72						146
T65	Kim Kaufman	69	77						146
T65	Mika Miyazato	71	75						146
T65	Alena Sharp	71	75						146
T65	Lindy Duncan	74	72						146
T76	Gwladys Nocera	72	75 MISSED CUT						147
T76	Beatriz Recari	73	74	MC	MC				147
T76	Jacqui Concolino	71	76	MC	MC				147
T76	Marina Alex	76	71	MC	MC				147
T76	Emma De Groot	75	72	MC	MC				147
T76	Marianne Skarpnord	70	77	MC	MC				147
T76	Ashleigh Simon	76	71	MC	MC				147
T76	Ellen Davies-Graham	76	71	MC	MC				147
T76	Eun-Hee Ji	77	70	MC	MC				147
T76	Christina Kim	73	74	MC	MC				147
T76	Kelly Shon	73	74	MC	MC				147
T76	Amelia Lewis	73	74	MC	MC				147
T76	Maria Hernandez	72	75	MC	MC				147
T89	Dewi Claire Schreefel	74	74	MC	MC				148
T89	Cheyenne Woods	71	77	MC	MC				148
T89	Ayako Uehara	77	71	MC	MC				148
T89	Melissa Reid	77	71	MC	MC				148
T89	Min-Ji Park	71	77	MC	MC				148
T89	Breanna Elliott	76	72	MC	MC				148
T89	Haeji Kang	73	75	MC	MC				148
T89	Grace Na	71	77	MC	MC				148
T89	Jessica Speechley	75	73	MC	MC				148
T89	Victoria Elizabeth	74	74	MC	MC				148
T89	Sandra Changkija	76	72	MC	MC				148
T100	Amy Boulden	73	76	MC	MC				149
T100	Anne van Dam	74	75	MC	MC				149
T100	Miriam Nagl	76	73	MC	MC				149
T100	Hannah Burke	71	78	MC	MC				149
T100	Becky Brewerton	75	74	MC	MC				149
T100	Caroline Hedwall	73	76	MC	MC				149
T100	Alejandra Llaneza	77	72	MC	MC				149
T107	Sadena Parks	75	75	MC	MC				150
T107	Cathryn Bristow	75	75	MC	MC				150
T107	Wei-Ling Hsu	75	75	MC	MC				150
T107	Justine Dreher	74	76	MC	MC				150
T107	Joanna Klatten	75	75	MC	MC				150
T107	Min Lee	72	78	MC	MC				150
T107	Sakura Yokomine	73	77	MC	MC				150
T114	Valentine Derrey	75	76	MC	MC				151
T114	Moriya Jutanugarn	78	73	MC	MC				151
T114	Alison Walshe	75	76	MC	MC				151
T114	Jane Rah	74	77	MC	MC				151
T114	Danielle Montgomery	73	78	MC	MC				151
T114	Jayde Panos	76	75	MC	MC				151
T114	Emily Pedersen	75	76	MC	MC				151
T114	Cyna Rodriguez	74	77	MC	MC				151
T114	Brianna Do	75	76	MC	MC				151
T114	Felicity Johnson	73	78	MC	MC				151
T124	Nina Muehl	73	79	MC	MC				152
T124	Amy Anderson	75	77	MC	MC				152
T124	Julieta Granada	76	76	MC	MC				152
T124	Cameron Moralee	80	72	MC	MC				152
T124	Lauren Hibbert	76	76	MC	MC				152
T124	Lisa Ferrero	78	74	MC	MC				152
T124	Rachel Rohanna	73	79	MC	MC				152
T124	Rebecca Artis	75	77	MC	MC				152
T124	Yu-Sang Hou	75	77	MC	MC				152
T124	Celine Herbin	72	80	MC	MC				152
T124	Giulia Molinaro	76	76	MC	MC				152
T135	Rachel Hetherington	75	78	MC	MC				153
T135	Pannarat Thanapolboonyar	79	74	MC	MC				153
T135	Tamie Durdin	75	78	MC	MC				153
T135	Vicky Hurst	73	80	MC	MC				153
T135	Connie Chen	74	79	MC	MC				153
T135	Briana Mao	73	80	MC	MC				153
T141	Laura Davies	78	76	MC	MC				154
T141	Minori Iwasaki*	78	76	MC	MC				154
T141	Kris Tamulis	75	79	MC	MC				154
T144	Ana Menendez	78	77	MC	MC				155
T144	Trish Johnson	77	78	MC	MC				155
T144	Laetitia Beck	77	78	MC	MC				155
T147	Belen Mozo	76	80	MC	MC				156
T147	Bree Arthur	75	81	MC	MC				156
149	Benyapa Niphatsophon	75	82	MC	MC				157
T150	Liv Cheng	82	76	MC	MC				158
T150	Iori Onuki	80	78	MC	MC				158
T152	Stephanie Na	76	83	MC	MC				159
T152	Maria McBride	78	81	MC	MC				159
154	Sarah Oh	75	WD	WD	WD				75
-	Christel Boeljon	-	-	-	-				-
* player started on back nine.