BY BRENDAN JAMES at Victoria Golf Club

Teenage amateur Minjee Lee remains the sole Australian near the top of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open leaderboard, which is dominated by a trio of Scandinavian stars heading into the third round.

Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall raced to the top of the leaderboard with a seven under 65 to lead the field after 36 holes at 11 under. She will be joined by first round leader, Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who sits one shot in arrears after a fighting four under 68.

They are closely followed by precision ball-strikers in West Australian 17-year-old Lee (-10), Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, teenage pro Lydia Ko and England’s Holly Clyburn, all at nine under.

Of the Scandinavian raiders, Hedwall is the only one to have won her in Australia.

Caroline Hedwall sets up a birdie opportunity with this approach at the par-5 18th hole. PHOTO: Brendan James

Hedwall is a rarity in professional golf. Any number of golf pros will tell you that after a while the endless travel wears them down and it becomes hard to enjoy. But not this Swede. In fact, she has a passion for travel and dreams of one day competing in the TV series, The Amazing Race.

Her love of travel brought her to Australia in 2011 and she immediately fell in love with us and the weather. She also reserves some of her finest golf for our shores, having won three times on the ALPG Tour, including New South Wales Open victories in 2011 and again in 2013.

So it should come as no surprise that the happy 24-year-old tourist has found her way to the top of the leaderboard midway through the Open to continue her love affair with Australia. IN fact, the only thing she hates here are all the flies.

“You guys have great golf courses down here and the people are so relaxed and so welcoming, nice weather,” Hedwall said. “I think everything is great down here. It is absolutely one of my favourite stops.”

Which goes some way to explaining her second round 65.

Hedwall started the second round two shots adrift of Pettersen, the World No.2. Hitting off the 10th tee she parred the first five holes of her round before it became one of those memorable days at the office.

A birdie at the short par-4 15th edged her up the leaderboard but the real game changer came at the next hole, an uphill par-3, where she made a hole-in-one. Unfortunately she didn’t get to see the ball drop into the cup.

“Yesterday I hit a full 7-iron over the green and it was basically the same yardage today,” she recalled. “So I hit a soft one and it covered the pin all the way and then I just saw it bounce once and hit the pin. But I didn't see it go in … it wasn't really the feeling when you see it go in, but it's always nice.”

Hedwall loves most things about Australia, but not the flies. Here she resorts to the golf towel swat. PHOTO: Brendan James

It was the fourth ace of her golfing career, and just like those she made as an amateur, she received nothing for it, just the glory of having achieved the rare feat.

Further birdies at the 18th (her ninth) and the short par-4 1st hole, were offset by three-putt bogies at the 3rd and 6th holes. The second of these dropped shots stung her into action and she catapulted back to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie-eagle-birdie finish.

Hedwall, who last year became the only player in the history of the Solheim Cup to go through a match against he United States undefeated, said he has plenty of confidence and trust in her game to continue playing well.

“I think you really need confidence when you're out there and you need to trust yourself and commit to your shots,” she said. “I mean, confidence is key when you play golf.

“I'm very happy with how I'm striking the ball and my putting is getting better and better, so I definitely feel like I have a lot of confidence.”

Hedwall will head in the last group of the third round with fellow European Solheim Cup teammate Pettersen, who backed up her opening 66 with a four under 68 that included five birdies.

It was a very different Pettersen in the second round though. On day one she walked the course as if she owned it. Her head was high and she appeared focused. At times during the second round she appeared flat and distracted by working on her swing. On most tees she was seemingly working through a backswing ‘feel drill’ moments before hitting off.

When she birdied her final hole to reach ten under, there appeared to be a sense of relief that the day was done.

“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.”

Anna Nordqvist has been a model of consistency with her ball-striking during the past two days. PHOTO: Getty Images

While Pettersen will be able to keep her eye on one Swede, another looms just two shots back in a tie for fourth. Anna Nordqvist, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, bounced back from her par round on day one to break the Victoria GC course record for women with an eight under 64.

It was a flawless display from the World No.27, whose ball-striking was near perfect despite suffering from a sore throat. She missed just two fairways from the tee and found all 18 greens in regulation. Through 36 holes she has missed just two greens.

But 24 hours is a long time in golf and her putting on day two did not resemble anything like the 35 putts she had the day before. The 26-year-old spent plenty of time on the practice green after the opening round and it paid dividends with just 28 putts on day two. Two more days of precise ball-striking and good putting like that could see her clinch the Patricia Bridges Bowl.

“Even yesterday I played pretty good, I had 16 greens, I think I hit all 18 today, so very steady from tee to green,” Nordqvist said. “Just a couple of par-5s bad second shots but overall it seems like the putts were rolling in. Yesterday they kind of hit the edges.”

She said she has been working on some swing changes in the past few months and they now seem to be kicking in.

“I have been working with my new coach and we're trying to do a couple of different things with my swing and then I've also got 14 new clubs and a new golf ball, so it's been fun playing around with it this off season,” she said.

Minjee Lee was all smiles after her round of 67. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“Definitely didn't really know what to expect yesterday coming out with the clubs and how they react in competition but I'm very happy. It will probably take a while to get used to them but it seems to be working pretty good,” she laughed.

Nordqvist will play in the penultimate group of the third round with West Australian teen amateur Minjee Lee, who is outright third.

Lee, who finished second at the Ladies Masters last week, has had rounds of 68 and 67 with just one bogey on the card. Having started the second day four under, Lee posted nine consecutive pars after teeing off the 10th tee.

She kick started her round with an eagle at the short par-4 1st and secured three more birdies to come home in 31. The World No.3 amateur hardly broke into a sweat and has been a model of maturity and poise throughout this tournament. Nothing seems to fluster her, not even the flies.

Like Nordqvist, her ball-striking through the first 36 holes has been of the highest calibre. She’s missed just three greens in regulation and will be hoping the weekend brings a few more holed putts. If Lee does happen to win the Open she will be the first amateur to do so in the 40-year history of the tournament and the first player to hold the Women’s Australian Amateur and Open trophies at the same time.

The precision of Nordqvist and Lee will be compelling viewing, while the big-hitting duel between Pettersen and Hedwall in the group behind promises some fireworks, aside from the rivalry that already exists between the pairs respective countries.

“Especially now when the Winter Olympics are on, yeah … we're great competitors,” the some times fiery Hedwall laughed. “It's fun though; we force each other to play better in all sports.”

 LEADING SCORES

1. Caroline Hedwall (Swe)  68-65–133

2. Suzann Pettersen (Nor)  66-68–134

3. Minjee Lee (WA, a)  68-67–135

T4. Anna Nordqvist (Swe)  72-64–136

T4. Lydia Ko (NZ)  68-68–136

T4. Holly Clyburn (Eng)  68-68–136

T7. Jessica Korda (US)  67-70–137

T7. Paula Creamer (US)  68-69–137

T7. Morgan Pressel (US)  69-68–137

For full scores go to www.womensausopen.com.au