HOLLY CLYBURN STILL HOLDS THE LEAD AFTER 2 ROUNDS IN AUSTRALIA LADIES CLASSIC

Friday 23rd February 2018: England’s Holly Clyburn said it was a ‘game of two halves’ after she recorded a second round of 69 to keep her two-stroke lead midway through the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville.

 The 27-year-old from Cleethorpes carded six birdies and three bogeys on a day of mixed weather conditions at Bonville Golf Resort, for a total of eight-under-par, but it was a topsy turvy round. After making four birdies on the fifth, seventh, ninth and 10th holes, she bogeyed the 11th, 12th and 14th, before finishing with a pair of birdies.
 “I played fantastic on the front nine and was minus three, but then I had an awkward yardage on 11, which made my round go upside down a bit,” said Clyburn. “I took a three-putt there and got lucky on 12 not to be in the hazard, so I took bogey there and then took par on the next hole. I got shocked by a tee shot on 14, from the girls in front, which made me duff my shot, but all in all, I played some nice golf and I’m quite happy.
 “This golf course will throw some surprises at you, so you’ve got to stay patient. I finished on a high with two birdies on the last two holes, so I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.” Céline Boutier of France and Olivia Cowan from Germany, who both shot 68s, were her nearest challengers, Boutier having posted the clubhouse target of six-under before Clyburn teed off.

The 24-year-old from Montrouge won the Sanya Open in China in November and is feeling comfortable in the similarly tropical conditions. She said: “I’m very satisfied with my day and I felt like I was hitting the ball pretty solid and I was giving myself birdie opportunities. I just feel very comfortable on this course and the more I play it, the more I can see myself playing well.”

 Iceland’s Valdis Thora Jonsdottir backed up her opening round with a solid 70 and lies three shots off the lead. She said: “I played quite solid and I didn’t have a lot of trouble. I didn’t give myself as many birdie opportunities, but I made a couple of good putts for birdie and pars, so I’m happy.

 “The air felt kind of heavy, so it was hard to estimate which club to use and I could tell that I was hitting it a bit shorter, but overall the conditions were good.”

 Perth’s Hannah Green is the leading Australian in a share of fifth place on four-under with Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark and both players shot second rounds of 70. Green, who felt she had picked up a common cold overnight, said: “I’m happy as I don’t feel like I’ve played my best golf and I left a lot out there. I had four three-putts and a lot of opportunities that I could have taken advantage of. I have a cold right now, so hopefully I can go to sleep pretty soon and recover for the weekend.”

 Fellow Australian Rebecca Artis, from Coonabarabran in New South Wales, is a stroke further back in a share of seventh place with Ines Lescudier of France and Marta Sanz Barrio from Spain. Artis already has two Ladies European Tour victories, the 2013 Helsingborg Open and 2015 Scottish Open, but she would love to collect a third in her home state this weekend.

Kylie Henry, Gemma Dryburgh, Carly Booth and Michele Thomson have all made the cut 

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