Reigning champion Grace Kim’s title defence came to an end two days early as she followed up an opening round of 2-over 73 with a 1-over 72 on Friday to fall three shots short of the cut-line.

Two double-bogeys on her back nine saw Hannah Green miss the weekend for the second straight major, while 2021 champion Minjee Lee also made two doubles on her back nine in her round of 6-over 77 and a disappointing showing.

On the back of consecutive best major finishes at the U.S Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA, Karis Davidson made two birdies in her final four holes to make the cut at 1-under; fellow Queenslander Cassie Porter making a birdie at the par-5 ninth – her final hole – to guarantee herself two additional rounds.

England’s Lottie Woad surged to the outright lead with a superb 7-under 64 on day two to be 11-under at the halfway mark, one clear of Round 1 leader Aki Iwai (69).

Starting Round 2 four shots back of Iwai, the two-time Ladies European Tour winner rolled in her first birdie of the day on the third, before adding further birdies on seven and nine.

The 22-year-old dropped her only shot of the day on the 10th, but bounced back with three birdies on the trot on holes 11 to 13.

Another birdie on 15 gave Woad a share of the lead, before her birdie on 18 put her in front outright at the 36-hole mark.

“I hit a lot of fairways and greens, which is definitely the key around here,” said Woad.

“If you get in trouble off the tee, it can be pretty difficult, so I’ve just been trying to hit my lines and know how important that is.”

Three-time major champion Lydia Ko is the best of the Australasians to make the cut, making it successive rounds of 2-under 69 to sit in a share of 18th.

Eleven years since her victory as an 18-year-old, Ko was 2-over on her round through eight holes on Friday, storming home with four birdies in her final seven holes to go into the weekend at 4-under par and seven strokes off the lead.

Round 2 Australasian scores

T18 Lydia Ko (NZ) 69-69 - 138
T46 Karis Davidson 70-71 - 141
T46 Cassie Porter 69-72 - 141
MC Hannah Green 70-73 - 143
MC Kelsey Bennett 74-70 - 144
MC Robyn Choi 73-71 - 144
MC Grace Kim 73-72 - 145
MC Minjee Lee 77-77 - 154
MC Gabriela Ruffels 78-77 - 155

Round 3 tee times AEST

5:28pm Lydia Ko (NZ)
5:40pm* Karis Davidson
5:52pm* Cassie Porter