Finishing the second round at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club on a 10-under tournament total, Bennett signed for a Friday 68 and holds a one-stroke advantage over England’s Meghan MacLaren and Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab in front of a strong leaderboard looking to chase down the Aussie.
The Mollymook product’s round a chase of its own, with the 26-year-old seeking to settle herself, and her scores, on a day when she only made eight pars and paid credit to her caddie Michael Baines for his calming words.
“It was solid again today. There was a few little mishaps in there, sort of made a couple of average bogeys, but yeah, just managed to keep my head screwed on and just keep going and then made a few birdies coming in, which was nice,” Bennett surmised her round.
“There’s always that little bit of expectation that you got to not hang onto too much. And then obviously made a couple of bogeys today, but yeah, it was just expectation management, and I think I handled it really well. My caddie gave me some words, so that was good. Pulled me in line.”
Seeking to increase her professionalism, Bennett spoke of her experiences last week at the Ford Women’s NSW Open, where she was in the mix from Round 1.
“I was pretty anxious all day. I got a bit caught up in my own head about being in that final group,” she said of last Sunday at Wollongong.
“The only way you can experience that is by being in it. I’m just going to take out that feeling and hopefully just settle yourself a bit better, settle myself a bit better and just focus a bit harder and stick to my processes more.”
Similarly, seeking a retribution of sorts, MacLaren is a familiar name for Australian golf fans and is the only past champion of the Australian Women’s Classic in the field at Magenta Shores this week, as well as being a two-time winner of the Women’s NSW Open.
However, MacLaren’s career has not been at her previously LPGA Tour-bound levels in recent years, including two years ago at Magenta Shores when she hit her own version of rock bottom in a golf sense.
“I think it’s funny because we’re standing here now and 15 yards down here. Two years ago, I was here, and I sat there after the first round and just cried my eyes out because I just felt so lost. I was struggling so badly,” MacLaren said.
“I shouldn’t have been out here that year. And it’s been a long, long road since then. But I feel like since kind of just before Q school, I don’t know. I think I realised that golf-wise I’m kind of back where I feel like I can be. I trust in my game again, and it was just the case of mentally then going out and believing that I can do it and trusting my ability and stuff.”
MacLaren was nearly a shot better on Friday and in a tie for the lead with Bennett, with her birdie putt at the 18th hole from 10 feet slipping by on the low side to sign off on a bogey-free, five birdie round of 67.
Sharing a house with a group that includes Lydia Hall, who made her first-ever career hole-in-one on Friday at the third hole, MacLaren has her parents watching on this week as she chases a fourth win in Australia with her rediscovered form and mindset.
Lydia Hall made her first hole-in-one at the third. PHOTO: Australian Golf Media.
“I feel really excited,” she said looking ahead to the weekend.
“It’s funny, those last, I don’t know, four or five holes, obviously a few of the cameras came out and stuff, and that’s what you play for.
“You want to be able to execute when the feelings are like that. None of us are out here to just be average. Everybody wants to be the one that steps up when the pressure is on.
“There’s no guarantee that I can do it. There’s no guarantee that anybody can do it, but seeing how you handle the pressure is kind of what it’s all about.”
It’s also a family affair for Bennett as she seeks to stand up to the pressure, with her Nan and various others on site, while her mother will make the trip up north on Saturday.
Cheenglab, with her own family connections, is in a challenge with her fiancé, Guney, doubling as a caddie and an important part of her morning 68, albeit not missing out on some ribbing from his future wife.
“My goal this year is be myself on the course, find the balance of myself. I don’t want to force myself too much. Just like face myself. I will not let myself scared on the course,” Cheenglab said.
“Actually, we (she and Guney) speak in Thai, so you guys don’t know that we’re fighting all the time.
“I mean, he sees what has happened, sometimes I didn’t see what has happened to myself.”
Sitting just behind the trio at the top is a well-credentialled chasing pack that includes the highest-ranked player in the field, Cassandra Alexandra from South Africa, at 8-under.
Overnight leader Sara Kouskova, who had a one-over second round, and England’s Caley McGinty, in her rookie LET year, having played on the LPGA Tour last year, one shot further back on 8-under, as the cut fell at 1-over par.
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