Sergas soars as Davies stumbles

Last updated: 12th March 2010

Defending champion Laura Davies has stumbled in the second round of the Handa Women's Australian Open and Italy's Giulia Sergas has soared into the lead heading into the weekend.

Sergas, who plays on the both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours, added a 4-under 69 to her opening 70 at the difficult, par-73 Commonwealth Club in Melbourne to take her halfway tally to a 7-under 139 and move three shots clear of South Koreans He-yong Choi (69) and Soo-yin Yang (72), who are tied for second.

Australian No 1 Karrie Webb (70) along with compatriot Rebecca Flood (73) and Austria's Stefanie Michl (72) are tied for third, a further shot back on 143.

"I try to establish a little relationship with the golf course so that we are able to talk to each other," Sergas said.

"If you listen well and you don't get caught up in your emotions, then the golf course really talks to you. And when it's a difficult golf course like this one, you really have to pay attention."

Davies obviously didn't.

The English veteran, the defending champion and first round leader after shooting a tournament low 68, ended her outstanding streak of 13 back-to-back rounds of under par in this event with a disappointing 3-over 76 that sent her tumbling down the leaderboard into joint seventh place with Katherine Hull and the US college amateur Alison Whitaker.

"I played rubbish, a scrappy round of golf," a clearly disgruntled Davies said. "I missed a few fairways, had a couple of flyers, just didn't play particularly well. But I'm only five behind the lead and two rounds to go, so I'm OK."

In the meantime Webb, who shot a closing 61 to win the Australian Masters last week, was relatively happy with her performance on day two.

"I was scratchy yesterday, but I managed to pull it back today," she said. "I was 3-over through eight, and I thought then that it was only five days ago that I shot a 61. It felt a long way away.

"I was a bit sluggish, and will have to play my best for the next couple of rounds, but I feel like I'm in a good position going into the weekend."