Rachel Lee equalled the Cranbourne course record, and Blake Phillips continued his strong form to put the New South Wales High-Performance Squad young guns on top at the halfway point of the Adidas Australian Amateur.
Lee’s superb 7-under 65 with eight birdies today equals Kiwi Fiona Xu’s course record set in 2022, and vaulted her up into the outright lead by two shots at 8-under overall.
Playing alongside Lee today were Sarah Hammett (67) and Raegan Denton (72), who are her closest challengers at minus 8 and 7 respectively.
Having navigated the recently renovated Commonwealth on day one in a tidy 3-under par, Lee came to Cranbourne ready to take advantage of the slightly more gettable layout.
Wasting no time, the 17-year-old Avondale member birdied six of her first nine holes, including her final four in a row before making the turn.
Just before Lee could tee off on Cranbourne’s first (her tenth), however, the sirens blew, and all players came off the course for close to two hours right as her momentum was running hot.
Calmly returning to the course, Lee piped her drive down the first and proceeded to play her final nine in 2-under, tapping in for par on the last and securing a share of Cranbourne’s record.
Now the proud owner of three course records, it is likely this one will never be bettered, with Cranbourne set to close its doors in 2026.
Related Links: 2025 Adidas Australian Amateur Leaderboard
“My putting was on,” Lee said. “Although the greens were not the best condition, I think I worked my way through that pretty well.”
With Hammett playing some outstanding golf alongside her, and overnight leader Denton staying in touch, Lee says the group was keeping each other motivated.
“The whole rhythm of the group was pretty good. Everybody was just playing really good, it was nice.”
It is not uncommon to see Lee’s name close to the top of the leaderboard, having amassed a number of amateur wins, and finishing a very impressive T24 in last year’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open, but she admits seeing it there at the halfway mark this week evokes some trepidation.
“Pretty excited and nervous at the same time, I guess,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to the rest of the week though. It would definitely be a good start to 2025 to get a win here.”
Meanwhile Phillips, who began with a share of the lead after a blistering last seven holes at Commonwealth on Tuesday, shot a steady 2-under par 69 at Cranbourne to reach 9-under overall and the outright lead.
He is a shot ahead of his NSW counterpart Jye Halls and Queenslander Harry Takis, who both shot identical scores on the same course to reach 8-under. The reigning NSW Amateur champion Declan O’Donovan is at 7-under and well and truly in contention.
First-round co-leader Chase Oberle from Queensland made an early eagle but then fell away, shooting 77 at the meaner Commonwealth.
He hails from north-western Sydney and plays out of Concord, but Phillips could not be more at home in the Melbourne Sandbelt.
He won the Victorian Amateur on the Sandbelt in 2024, a year that saw him also lead Concord to its first Golf NSW pennants triumph in 73 years with the winning putt.
The 21-year-old from North Ryde puts it down to “something in the water down here”, and there is no doubt he is happy heading back to Commonwealth Golf Club for Thursday’s third round in the national championship.
It all happened for Phillips from the 12th hole at Commonwealth on Tuesday. Even-par at the time, he made birdie there, followed up with eagle, and ended up shooting 7-under for the final seven holes.
“Honestly, I wanted to go out and play more holes, play my second round, but I slept pretty well,” he said.
He has been fiddling with a new, left-hand-low putting grip, having grown frustrated with his inability to convert good ball-striking into better scoring. It has worked thus far. “I definitely feel a lot better over the putts,” he said.
Phillips has never wanted for good advice. His father Glenn is a PGA Professional and the current general manager of Strathfield Golf Club in western Sydney.
Takis started well – three birdies in his first four holes having begun on the back nine at Cranbourne – but a double bogey on the 16th almost unravelled the Queenslander at college on scholarship in San Diego.
“It kind of went pear-shaped for a bit there, but I’m happy to have fought back on my back nine and I’m in a good spot for tomorrow,” he said.
Takis was third at the Australian Master of the Amateurs just over a week ago so his formline is strong, and he is in a good space back at home with friends and family. He plans for the final two rounds to “do the little things” and let the consequences unfold.
“I had the belief that I could be there,” he said. “You can never get too far ahead of yourself in this game, it can humble you very quickly.”
