Major champion Green carded a 3-under par 69 at Kooyonga Golf Club, with Rudgeley recording the lowest round of the day, a 5-under 67, to join her on a 5-under total.

New South Wales’s Kelsey Bennett and Victorian Stephanie Bunque are also inside the top five after 36 holes, all with hopes of becoming the first home women’s Australian Open winner since Karrie Webb in 2014.

Green birdied her second hole, but then dropped three shots in the space of four holes after a bogey at the fourth and a double bogey at the seventh. But a birdie at the ninth was the first of five gains in eight holes as she came home in just 31 strokes.

“I probably am putting a lot more pressure on myself than I'm used to,” said Green, who won her seventh LPGA Tour title a fortnight ago in Singapore.

Kirsten Rudgeley from the sand in Adelaide. PHOTO: LET.


“I was getting a little bit impatient on that front nine, but I saw a couple of longer putts go in on the back nine, which gave me some confidence. The crowds have been great… I think I'll definitely need to rely on them come this weekend because it's going to be hard to kind of try and close out this tournament. But so far I've put myself in a good position.”

Rudgeley set the early clubhouse target, with five of her seven birdies coming on the back nine, including four in a row from the first hole – her tenth.

“I played nicely all day. I played steady and my ball-striking's really good at the moment,” said Rudgeley.

“I’m putting nicely and I'm giving myself chances. That's what you’ve got to do in a golf tournament.”

Herbin carded a second consecutive round of 69, recovering from a double bogey at the eighth with a birdie at the ninth - her last hole - to take a one-stroke lead on 6-under.

Agathe Laisne, who won the Ford Women’s NSW Open a fortnight ago, shares second with Green and Rudgeley, while Bennett and Bunque are in a three-way tie for fifth with Sweden’s Moa Folke one stroke back on 4-under.