Ryu fires 11-under 61 to hit the top

South Korean So Yeon Ryu soared to the top of the leaderboard after firing an incredible 11-under par 61, which included 12 birdies and one lone bogey at the Gold Coast RACV Australian Ladies Masters in the second round on Friday.

The reigning US Open Champion, Ryu would have set two records at the RACV Royal Pines Resort but unfortunately neither feat will be given official status.

Due to the soaking the course has received over the past week, players have been able to take preferred lies on the closely mown areas and the altered playing conditions means the records won’t stand.

Ryu’s first record was equalling Queensland’s Karrie Webb’s outstanding round of 11-under-par 61 and her second was posting the lowest 36-hole score of 17 under 127 on the Ladies European Tour (LET). The Gold Coast RACV Masters is co-sanctioned with the LET.

Boeljon makes her eagle putt on 18

Not that Ryu was too upset at missing out on the record books. She will most likely be busy tonight remarking her golf balls. At present she marks it with “62” to represent her career low round, but now she will be changing it to “61.”

”I really wanted to change the number, finally I can change the number,” she said.

“The last shot I was really, really nervous, but I made it, so I’m really, really happy, and now I’m really looking forward to the last two rounds.”

Lack of official recognition aside, it was a remarkable score by the 21-year-old who could have shot one shot less had she not bogeyed her second hole of the day.

Still it was enough to give her a sizeable four shot lead over Dutchwoman Christel Boeljon who is on 13 under 131, heading into the weekend.

Boeljon finds herself in outright second courtesy of a blistering birdie, birdie, eagle finish.

The 24-year-old sunk a 15-metre eagle putt on the 430m par 5 18th to end her round in style.

“It’s a great feeling, great way to end my round, so you know, what do you do? You take it every day,” she said.

Luna is seven shots back after a 64

After four attempts, Boeljon has finally made the cut at Royal Pines and said experience on the greens was the key.

“In the previous years, I’ve always had a little bit of trouble on the greens, always had too much break and it showed,” she said.

“Now it’s just what it is, I don’t want to read too much into the putts.”

Australia’s Nikki Campbell had another strong round, again firing a five under 67 to share third place with Ryu’s compatriot Bo-Mee Lee on ten under.  The duo is one shot ahead of Italian Diana Luna, American Amelia Lewis and England’s Felicity Johnson who are on nine under.

Queenslander Bree Arthur is the next best placed Australian in outright 8th position on eight under. 

The teenage duo of 16-year-old Lexi Thompson and exciting amateur, 14-year-old Lydia Ko, continued to wow the crowds today.

Ko recorded a three under 69 but was again left to rue two bogeys in her round. Yesterday she carded three but today she at least took the honours over playing partner Thompson.

Ko’s 69 has her in a tie for 18th with a host of players including Australian Stephanie Na at five under under 139. Thompson’s two under 70 today sees her in a share of 9th place on seven under 137.

The 2009 Ladies Masters champion Katherine Hull will be missing from the weekend after finishing on even par with Perth’s Kristie Smith.  The pair finished one shot below the cut line. England’s Melissa Reid is another big name to miss the next two days, while Laura Davies and 2011 Kraft Nabisco Champion Stacy Lewis just scraped in on one under.

Earlier in the day, the playing group of Corie Hou, Inhong Lim and amateur Annie Choi were disqualified from the tournament for a rule breach.

The trio were playing preferred lies through the green instead of on closely mown areas only. All admitted to breaching this rule yesterday and were then immediately disqualified after being questioned on the 2nd tee today.

Scores after round 2 of the RACV Australian Ladies Masters being played at the par 72, 5954 Metres Royal Pines course (a- denotes amateur):

127: So Yeon Ryu (KOR) 66 61.

131: Christel Boeljon (NED) 66 65.

134: Bo-Mee Lee (KOR) 65 69, Nikki Campbell (AUS) 67 67.

135: Diana Luna (ITA) 71 64, Amelia Lewis (USA) 71 64, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 67 68.

136: Bree Arthur (AUS) 70 66.

137: Lexi Thompson (USA) 67 70, Hee Kyung Seo (KOR) 66 71, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 69 68, Ha-Neul Kim (KOR) 72 65, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 69 68.

138: Caroline Masson (GER) 71 67, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 69 69, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 70 68, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 71 67.

139: Lydia Ko (am, NZL) 70 69, Stephanie Na (AUS) 67 72, Haeji Kang (KOR) 73 66, Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) 70 69, Beth Allen (USA) 74 65, Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 69 70.

140: Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 69 71, Katie Futcher (USA) 71 69, Stacey Keating (AUS) 70 70, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 71 69, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 71 69, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 71 69, Mariajo Uribe (COL) 71 69, Frances Bondad (AUS) 68 72, Victoria Tanco (ARG) 71 69.

141: Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 72 69, Wendy Doolan (AUS) 69 72, Karen Lunn (AUS) 69 72, Lindsey Wright (AUS) 70 71, Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) 70 71, Amanda Blumenherst (USA) 71 70, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 72 69, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) 70 71, Candie Kung (TWN) 71 70, Rebecca Codd (IRE) 73 68, Irene Cho (USA) 72 69, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 70 71, Ju Young Park (KOR) 69 72, Danielle Kang (USA) 70 71, Courtney Massey (AUS) 68 73, Rebecca Flood (AUS) 71 70, Cathryn Bristow (NZL) 73 68, Jennifer Song (USA) 70 71.

142: Kylie Walker (SCO) 71 71, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 71 71, Heather Bowie Young (USA) 70 72, Becky Morgan (WAL) 72 70, Meaghan Francella (USA) 72 70, Line Vedel (DEN) 69 73, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 68 74, Lynnette Brooky (NZL) 70 72, Ashleigh Simon (RSA) 72 70.

143: Karine Icher (FRA) 73 70, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 72 71, Ayako Uehara (JPN) 73 70, Clare Queen (SCO) 72 71, Su-Hyun Oh (am, AUS) 73 70, Stacy Lewis (USA) 70 73, Laura Davies (ENG) 71 72, Julieta Granada (PRY) 74 69, Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 72 71, Jane Rah (USA) 74 69, Christina Kim (USA) 69 74, Jennie Lee (USA) 72 71, Sarah Oh (AUS) 73 70, Kendall Dye (USA) 73 70.

Missed the cut:

144: Cindy LaCrosse (USA) 74 70, Kristie Smith (AUS) 74 70, Jessica Speechley (AUS) 74 70, Samantha Whittle (AUS) 73 71, Mo Martin (USA) 76 68, Kym Larratt (ENG) 72 72, Katherine Hull (AUS) 70 74, Lorie Kane (CAN) 70 74, Vikki Laing (SCO) 72 72.

145: Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) 70 75, Jean Chua (MAL) 75 70, Jessica Korda (USA) 73 72, Caroline Bon (NZL) 76 69, Rachel Jennings (ENG) 73 72, Tiffany Joh (USA) 72 73, Hee Young Park (KOR) 76 69, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 72 73, Jessica Noh (AUS) 75 70.

146: Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 74, Kyeong Eun Bae (KOR) 71 75, Tamie Durdin (AUS) 72 74, Alison Walshe (USA) 74 72, Jessica Shepley (CAN) 71 75, Melissa Reid (ENG) 72 74, Liz Bennett (ENG) 73 73, Alison Whitaker (AUS) 76 70, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 74 72, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 71 75, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 76 70, Connie Chen (RSA) 73 73.

147: Christine Song (USA) 73 74, Katelyn Must (AUS) 73 74, Karen Pearce (AUS) 74 73, Cara Freeman (USA) 76 71, Bree Turnbull (AUS) 71 76, Nancy Harvey (CAN) 76 71, Megumi Kido (JPN) 74 73, Ashley Ona (am, AUS) 71 76.

148: Danielle Montgomery (AUS) 74 74, Julia Boland (AUS) 75 73, Mianne Bagger (DEN) 76 72, Yoshimi Koda (JPN) 71 77, Kathleen Ekey (USA) 75 73, Stephanie Kirchmayr (GER) 78 70.

149: Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 78 71, Karen Quinn (AUS) 75 74, Louise Larsson (SWE) 79 70, Laurette Maritz (RSA) 72 77, Tamara Johns (AUS) 75 74.

151: Sara Brown (USA) 77 74.

152: Vicky Thomas (AUS) 73 79.

153: Corinne Dibnah (AUS) 76 77, Belen Mozo (ESP) 81 72.

154: Rebecca Green (AUS) 75 79, Jessica Parker (AUS) 77 77, Sunny Park (AUS) 77 77, Phillis Meti (NZL) 79 75.

155: Corinne Furnell (AUS) 77 78, Joanne Mills (AUS) 77 78.

157: Lisa Jean (AUS) 81 76, Jody Fleming (AUS) 81 76.

158: Jacinta Toberty (AUS) 77 81.

159: Anna Lim (am, KOR) 80 79, Wendy Dragojlo (AUS) 79 80.

161: Kate Little (AUS) 79 82.

Pairings for Round 3: