For more than a fleeting moment, Hannah Green’s name pushed into what’s becoming familiar territory near the top of the leaderboard.
The impressive West Australian, in her first full season on the LPGA Tour, had climbed to five under through 13 holes of her second round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.
Then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, four bogeys on the trot from the 15th and she’d stumbled to a 74 that took her from T5 back to a share of 24th at one under.
But almost as a testament to the quality of person Green has become, she was typically willing to answer questions about whether she was happy to have made the cut, or whether she was filthy to have let slide a very late start tomorrow.
“A mix of both. I know I’m nine from the lead and there’s a lot of golf to be played and that I’m happy to have made the cut,” Green reflected.
“Not that that was ever my goal because I don’t want to set low standards.
“I was happy being in contention there and happy with some of the shots I hit, even coming in, but I short-sided myself and that’s obviously very penalising around here.
“I played pretty well and I’m leaving positive. I feel like a couple of lucky bounces here and there could make a big difference to a round out here and I haven’t had one yet.”
Atypically, Green’s shoulders sagged for the final hour of her round – another fact she was remarkably willing to discuss.
“I was a bit slumped the last four holes and you can tell, I know,” she said.
“I hit a great shot on 17 and it went just over the back and I essentially three-putted from there.
“It’s hard. Momentum is hard – you can be either on a real high with it or a real low.
“I do try to make sure to show not that I’m happy, but more that I’m not upset. But I felt a bit off today coming into the round with a headache and sinus pain, so that was hard, too.
“But you just have to deal with that stuff – if you’re feeling great, great; if you’re not, just deal with it.
“I’ll just try to remember the things that got me to five under, not those last four holes.”
Green’s fall enabled her Ritchie Smith-coached stablemate Minjee Lee and hometown hero Steph Na to steal the march as the leading Aussies at halfway.
Both Lee (70) and Na (69) are T14 at two under, while rookie pro Karis Davidson fought back superbly with her own 69 to sit even par, one behind Green and still in the hunt.
Katherine (73) was the fifth and final Aussie to reach the weekend, finishing at one over and two shots inside the cut line.
Of those outside the mark, Karrie Webb missed for the second consecutive year after a flat 78 left her at four over, while Sarah Jane Smith, Su Oh and Whitney Hillier all finished six over.
Ellen Davies-Graham and Sarah Kemp both finished at eight over, Rebecca Artis at nine over, Sydney amateur Grace Kim at 10 over in her first Open and Queenslander Ali Orchard at 13 over.
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