Donegan Eight Behind Hat-Trick Chasing Green at Australian WPGA Championship

Australia's Hannah Green is on the verge of a remarkable third consecutive victory, having established a two-shot lead at the Australian WPGA Championship in Queensland. Following an impressive second-round 67, Green now tops the leaderboard, extending her exceptional form after triumphs at the Australian Open last week and the HSBC Women’s World Championship—her seventh LPGA title—just three weeks prior.

Green's second round at Sanctuary Cove Golf & Country Club was a dynamic display, featuring an eagle and six birdies. Despite also carding two bogeys and a double-bogey, she concluded the round at 10-under par, securing her advantage.

Reflecting on her rollercoaster performance, Green acknowledged the mounting pressure of her recent success. "I feel like I’m probably putting more pressure on myself as I am obviously on such a hot run," she commented. "Perhaps if I didn’t win the last two events, I would maybe fly under the radar a little bit more... I think we still have a really strong LET field, so it’s not like I have it easy this weekend. There’s going to be a lot of good players behind me that are going to be chasing me and probably have less pressure on themselves.”

England's Meghan MacLaren, a three-time Ladies European Tour winner, is positioned in sole second place, two strokes adrift of Green. Her consistent play saw her follow an opening 66 with a solid 68. MacLaren, who recently regained her full LET playing rights at Q-School in December, expressed her satisfaction with her position, stating, "It’s been amazing. This is where I expect myself to be."

Germany's Alexandra Försterling currently holds third place at seven-under par. Meanwhile, Lahinch's Aine Donegan has improved her standing, moving to 23rd position at two-under par after posting a second consecutive round of 70. Donegan's round included a recovery from early bogeys on the second and third holes, with subsequent birdies on the fifth, seventh, and fifteenth.

Annabel Wilson, after an impressive first round of 68, faced challenges in her second round, carding a 76. Despite a difficult day that included some significant dropped shots, she managed to narrowly make the cut at the two-over par limit.

A competitive quartet of players is tied for fourth place at six-under par: South Africa’s Casandra Alexander, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, Switzerland’s Vanessa Knecht, and Spain’s Harang Lee. Further back, five players share eighth place at five-under par, a group that includes Order of Merit winner Shannon Tan from Singapore, Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux, Australia’s Hannah Reeves, England’s Caley McGinty, and India’s Hitaashee Bakshi.

The tournament cut fell at two-over par, allowing 68 players to progress to the weekend rounds. Notably, Australian amateur Raegan Denton, who earned recognition for her hole-in-one last week, successfully advanced after an excellent 68 (-3) on Thursday.