Ayean Cho is making a statement midway through the second round of the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic here at Bonville.
As the afternoon field gets underway at the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic, the highest-ranked player in the field has stamped her authority on the tournament with a best of the week 64.
Ayean Cho, just 19 years old and already the 34th ranked golfer in the world, found form on day two at the Bonville Golf Resort with eight birdies and an eagle against two dropped shots to open a six-shot lead as the afternoon wave headed on course.
Cho played in the final Sunday groups of both the Women’s Australian Open and Vic Open and will no doubt put the experience of two disappointing performances to good use this week.
After opening with a par on the ninth hole, the five-time winner on the Korean LPGA reeled off five birdies against two dropped shots to be three-under through the turn.
Three more birdies followed between the first and the sixth, but it was her eagle at the seventh, her penultimate hole, that put the icing on the cake.
Cho’s nearest challenge from the morning players was Finland’s Noora Komulainen who was disappointed with a poor finish to drop from 9-under with three to play to 7-under overall.
Komulainen dropped shots at Bonville’s difficult 16th and 17th holes and failed to take advantage of the par-5 18th on her way to a 2-under 70.
Overnight leader Lauren Stephenson is the best of the afternoon players early in the round after a birdie at the second hole to get to 7-under and a share of second place.
The surprising – but not surprised story of the morning belongs to Queensland’s Cassie Porter.
The teenager got as high as tied for third after ten holes but faltered on the inward half with a bogey and a double-bogey to post a 1-under 71 to be 3-under for the tournament.
The Bonville resort is in perfect condition, and with milder conditions than yesterday, fans who make the effort to attend are in for a great afternoon of golf.