MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall had a hole-in-one and finished with a 7-under 65 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Women’s Australian Open.
The Solheim Cup star aced the 160-yard par-3 16th, eagled the par-5 eighth after hitting to 4 feet and had five birdies and two bogeys at Victoria Golf Club to reach 11-under 133, one shot ahead of second-ranked Suzann Pettersen of Norway.
“I couldn’t see it and the crowd didn’t want to yell because Laura (Davies) was hitting off on No. 17, so we walked up there and they were like, ’It went in!’” Hedwall said.
“Yesterday I hit a full 7-iron over the green (for bogey) and it was basically the same yardage today. So, I hit a softer 7-iron. It covered the pin the whole way and I just saw it bounce once and hit the pin, but I didn’t see it go in.”
Winless on the LPGA Tour, Hedwall was a record 5-0-0 last year in Europe’s Solheim Cup victory in Colorado.
“I’m driving pretty well,” Hedwall said. “I missed a couple of drives yesterday and today but I managed to save a couple of bogeys and I’m still making a lot of birdies and also eagles.”
Pettersen, the first-round leader after a 66, had a 68.
“Today, was not the best day, but when I had a good chance, I kind of executed,” Pettersen said. “Just not a great day, but sticking to the theme, coming down, finishing and coming back to my good feel. It’s very, very close. I’ve got to trust my feels and what I have to do.”
Australian amateur Minjee Lee was 9 under after a 67. The 17-year-old Lee was second behind Cheyenne Woods last week in the Australian Ladies Masters.
“It was such a slow start,” Lee said. “I started with nine pars. I was just patient and it came together late in the round.”
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist had the round of the day, a 64 that broke the course record for women. She was tied for fourth at 8 under with 16-year-old New Zealander Lydia Ko and England’s Holly Clyburn.
Ko and Clyburn shot 68.
Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, was tied for 20th at 5 under. She followed her opening 74 with a 65.
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