Tripled pain for Meaburn

Bennett goes two clear with a 69

GOLF can be a cruel mistress as Tasmanian rising star Hallie Meaburn found out in round two of the women’s Tasmanian Open.

After the 17-year-old’s stunning opening round of one-under 71, Meaburn crashed back to earth at the Kingston Beach with a sevenover 78, including a triple bogey eight on the 17th hole.

The Royal Hobart Golf Club member will start the third round in a tie for fifth.

She is seven behind NSW’s Kelsey Bennett who went three-under to be the only sub-par player at the halfway mark of the tournament at one-under par.

Bennett has a two-shot buffer from Belinda Ji, also from NSW, who holds second spot by the same margin from third-placed Shyla Singh, of Queensland.

It is a race in two in the men’s event, with South Australia’s Jack Buchanan joined at the top of the leaderboard by Joshua Fuller of NSW.

The pair are at eightunder-par after Fuller returned a five-under 66 and Buchanan carded a twounder 69 on Friday.

Ulverstone Golf Club’s Craig Walker is five shots behind in third place on three-under after a fine 69 to be the best-placed of the Tasmanians. Victoria’s Toby Walker and Queensland’s Blaike Perkins and Conor Whitelock are all tied at fourth on two-under par.

Meanwhile, Prospect Vale Golf Club’s Tammy Hall extended her lead to 16 shots in the Women’s Tasmanian Senior Open, also at Kingston Beach.

Hall shot a second round 79 to be well clear of her nearest rival, Deidre Panton, also from Prospect Vale.

It is a similar story in the men’s senior open, where Launceston Golf Club’s Shayne Walker is one-over for the tournament, nine strokes clear of Prospect Vale’s Robbie Berne, Adam Cornell (NSW), Brad Dowling (Qld) and Stephen Valentine (Vic).