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Local fancy Hannah Green is relishing chasing one of golf's greats in her pursuit of a coveted Women's Australian Open title.

Green is four shots shy of esteemed South Korean Inbee Park and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff, who are joint leaders after Friday's second round at Royal Adelaide.

Ewart Shadoff and Park, a seven-time major winner and reigning Olympic champion, are 10-under with the Korean firing a four-under 69 on Friday.

While Australia's five-time Open champion Karrie Webb missed the cut, Perth's Green is six-under after a rollercoaster second round 71 featuring five birdies and three bogeys.

And if Green expects to become just the fourth Australian to win her national Open, she'll have to catch Park, a former world No.1 with 19 LPGA Tour titles in her decorated career.

"She's obviously a great player," Green said.

"It's going to be very challenging considering all she has achieved in her career, it's not the first time she has led after two rounds.

"Hopefully I can have some putts drop and be in contention.

"It's always nice to be up the top of the leaderboard at a home event and hopefully there will be big crowds out this weekend and cheering us on."

Park and Ewart Shadoff hold a one-stroke lead from American Jillian Hollis with Korean Ayean Cho and American Marina Alex next-best at eight-under.

Korean star Park, renowned for her nerves of steel, was uncertain how much her imposing reputation would daunt the chasing pack.

"I wouldn't know how they would feel," Park said.

"It definitely gives me a lot of excitement being on the top of the leaderboard and being in contention in the weekend - that's the reason why I'm playing."

Green is the best chance of joining Webb, Jan Stephenson and Jane Crafter as Australian winners of the Open.

Emerging 21-year-old Sydneysider Robyn Choi (four-under), world No.8 compatriot Minjee Lee (four-under), Katherine Kirk (even) and Karis Davidson (even) were the only other Australians to make the cut.

Stalwart Webb missed the cut for just the third time in her 23 Open campaigns, finishing two-over.

Australia's top-ranked women's golfer Minjee Lee isn't sure why, but she's unusually relaxed about this week's Women's Australian Open.

Lee carries heavy expectations into the tournament at Royal Adelaide of becoming the first Australian since Karrie Webb in 2014 to capture the title.

In year's past, Lee felt that burden - but not this time.

"To be honest, I feel pretty relaxed this week for some reason," Lee told reporters on Tuesday.

"Usually I have a little bit of pressure to put on myself to perform.

"I think it's as big as a major championship because it's our home open.

"It would just be a great honour to be crowned the champion of the Australian Open as an Australian.

"But last week I had a pretty solid week and hopefully I can get some of that form into this week too."

Lee finished tied for sixth last weekend at the Vic Open, where her younger brother Min Woo won the men's tournament - his maiden professional victory.

"He had a nice celebration, I think he was drinking out of his trophy," Lee said.

But Lee's focus quickly switched to the open and potentially joining Webb, Jan Stephenson and Jane Crafter as local winners of their national championship.

Lee climbed to world No.2 midway through last year after notching her fifth LPGA Tour win - she was a tournament runner-up four times amid eight top-10 finishes.

The 23-year-old ended the year ranked ninth but, along with compatriot Hannah Green, who won her first major last year, are Australia's leading contenders at Royal Adelaide.

The Australians, however, will meet hot competition in a field boasting 15 major champions in the field.

Webb, a seven-time major winner, England's four-time major winner Laura Davies, American Cristie Kerr, New Zealander Lydia Ko and Koreans Na Yeon Choi, Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu and Jiyai Shin are among the major winners.

American Nelly Korda will defend her title and forecasts a rugged battle, depending on when the winds blow on the course in western Adelaide.

Korda played Royal Adelaide on Monday in calm conditions and described the course as "a golfer's dream".

But she's not so sure of that appraisal after another practice round on a windy Tuesday.

"It's a completely different golf course when the wind picks up," Korda told reporters.

Rory McIlroy has returned to the top of the world golf rankings, where Australia's Jason Day is among the biggest movers after his recent fourth-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Northern Irishman McIlroy rose to the rankings' summit for the first time since September 2015, taking over from American Brooks Koepka.

"I didn't know I was going to get a chance this early, but this has been a goal of mine for a while," McIlroy, 30, said.

"We all have egos out here and it would be great to get back there."

Former world No.1 Day moved up eight spots into the top 40 - from No.46 to 38, while compatriot Adam Scott led the Australian charge after rising one position to No.14.

Day's outright fourth at Pebble Beach was his best result since winning the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2018.

"It's bittersweet, because I wanted to (win) but it's still a good step in the right direction," Day told AAP at the tournament's conclusion.

"You can find negatives in anything, but it's been a while since I've had a top five and it's a great result to have early in the year."

The Australian contingent in the top 50, sandwiched between Scott and Day, includes Marc Leishman (19) and Cameron Smith (35).

Jason Day says he's never been more relaxed as he tries to finally lift the US PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am trophy that has eluded him for more than a decade.

With his mother Dening visiting from Australia and watching from the gallery on Saturday, the former world No.1 posted a two-under-par 70 at Spyglass Hill to ensure he'll start the final round just three shots off the pace.

Canadian Nick Taylor (69) is the 54-hole leader at 17-under-par, with five-times event winner Phil Mickelson (67) a shot back and Day in third at 14 under.

Dening has been in the US for two months having travelled from Brisbane to Day's home in Ohio for medical tests, she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2017.

Day said scans his mother had recently came back "awesome".

He says her presence is uplifting as he tries to win the celebrity-laden event after six top-six results in 10 starts since his debut in 2008.

"Yeah, it is good to see (family in the crowd); I'm glad they came around," said Day, who will be in the second-last group on Sunday.

The 32-year-old has finished in the top-five in each of the past three years at Pebble Beach, including a joint runner-up in 2018.

After seriously contemplating retirement due to chronic back injuries last year, Day said this is the calmest he's ever felt at Pebble Beach.

"I've got a lot more gratitude being here; I think I'm a lot more happier and that hopefully yields better play tomorrow," he said.

"It's exciting to be among it; there are going to be a few nerves out there, but I think Nick and Phil are going to have nerves (too).

"I'm definitely looking forward to being back in the hunt."

Day is without a win in 20 months and a top-10 result since June but urged himself to be patient as he chases PGA Tour victory No.13.

"A lot of people would probably (think) I'm desperate for a good finish; I'm not worrying about that," he said.

"I've just got to focus on trying to do the best job I can tomorrow and if it happens, it happens.

"I honestly believe if I keep playing the way I have been, I will win, if not tomorrow then soon."

Matt Jones is next best of the Australians at nine under, while countryman Aaron Baddeley is seven under.

John Senden is six under, while Cameron Davis is three shots further behind.

Greg Chalmers, Rhein Gibson and Rod Pampling all missed the event's 54-hole cut.

South Korean teenager Ayean Cho is the unlikely leader with one round to play after howling winds had played havoc with the field on day three of the women's Vic Open at 13th Beach.

The little-known Cho was one of only five of the 67 women who made the halfway cut to break par on Saturday on a day of scoring carnage.

The 19-year-old birdied the final hole on Saturday to sign for a two-under-par 70.

It left the 2019 KLPGA rookie of the year at 12-under 205, one shot clear of Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom (74), with Canada's Alena Sharp (70) a stroke further back at 10 under.

It was very windy so my shots were not as good as yesterday," said Cho through an interpreter.

"But I putted well.

"This will be the first time I will lead into the final round of an LPGA tournament.

"I'll try to keep my score as low as possible and try my best."

With one round to play, two-time Vic Open champion Minjee Lee was the only Australian in the top 10 of the $1.5 million tournament which is co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour.

Like Cho, she rolled in a birdie putt on the 18th, salvaging something from a difficult day.

Lee went to 12 under after three-successive birdies early in her round, before leaking shots as the wind continued to get stronger.

Lee has been overshadowed by her younger brother Min Woo, who leads the men's tournament by three strokes.

Hannah Green - who last year became only the third Australian woman to win a major when she saluted at the PGA Championship - moved into a tie for 16th at four under with a 71.

The highest-ranked player in the field, world No.8 Jeong Eun Lee6 from South Korea, missed the third-round cut after slipping to one under.

Australian golf stars Marc Leishman and Jason Day say Ernie Els will be "sorely missed" as Presidents Cup captain after the South African great confirmed he would step aside as leader of the International team.

Four-time major winner Els revealed he would not continue as skipper for the 2021 Presidents Cup, despite giving the underdog side their best chance in 20 years of toppling the American team at Royal Melbourne in December.

Els guided the International team to a two-point lead over a Tiger Woods-led US side going into the final day, but the Internationals squandered key matches en route to a 16-14 loss.

Victorian Leishman said he relished winning two points for Els at Royal Melbourne.

"I loved playing under Ernie; he was one of my idols growing up," Leishman told AAP of his fourth appearance for the Internationals.

"What he did with our team was incredible. He was very hands on and specific with his strategy. It certainly worked."

Day withdrew injured before Royal Melbourne but remarked that Els' enthusiasm was infectious during the 18-month lead up.

"I think it's going to be a huge loss not to see Ernie come back," Day said. "It would have been great for me to play under him, but I know how involved he was and how much passion he showed in the team meetings.

"I could hear it in his voice and I could see how much work he put in to try and get the win."

The 2021 Cup will be at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina but it is not clear whether 15-time major winner Woods will return as US captain.

It is believed South Africa's Trevor Immelman, who was a vice-captain at Royal Melbourne, will take the International reigns in 2021.

It is then expected Canadian Mike Weir will skipper in 2023 - the next time the International team hosts - because the PGA Tour is likely to take the biennial event to Montreal.

Five-time US PGA Tour winner Leishman hopes that whoever succeeds Els will adopt some of his strategies, including the use of analytical data to determine team pairings as opposed to grouping countrymen together.

"You'd hope the next captain will use some of the philosophies Ernie put forward," Leishman said. "The next captain is never going to do things identically to Ernie, but there is now a good foundation to go from."

On Tuesday, Els told the golf blog 'Morning Read': "There is is so much of me that wants to do it, but I know the hardest thing is to step away.

"That's as good as I can do ... I gave it all. I get one opportunity, win or lose. You don't get a second chance."

The South African spent two years trying to make his International players - from countries from everywhere outside Europe - feel more like a team.

Among his biggest change was ditching the PGA Tour-branded flag and creating his own logo for the International team.

The Americans now have an 11-1-1 lead in the Presidents Cup, having won the last eight times.

Australian golfer Min Woo Lee is ideally placed to create golfing history by emulating his celebrated sister Minjee as a Vic Open golf champion after taming brutal conditions at 13th Beach.

With strong winds gusting over 60km/h on Saturday at the links layout, Lee finished his third round of four-under-par 68 in brilliant style by eagling the final hole.

He ended the day at 15-under 201, three strokes clear of countrymen Marcus Fraser (69) and Travis Smyth (72).

Not to be overshadowed by her younger brother, Minjee stayed in contention for a third women's Vic Open crown.

She was in seventh spot with one round to play, five shots adrift of South Korean teenager Ayean Cho.

But it was Min Woo Lee, 21, who had family bragging rights, for 24 hours at least.

"I've probably never played a better round and another one of them should do the job tomorrow," said Lee.

"But it's another day and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"My sister has won here twice (in 2014 and 2018).

"It would be one of the only tournaments that a brother and sister have won so that would be cool."

Lee put a three-stroke gap on his nearest challengers with a remarkable eagle at the par-5 18th.

With the howling gale at his back, he smashed a two-iron 343 metres off the tee and hit his approach shot pin high, before nailing a four-metre putt.

Fraser described the conditions as "borderline unplayable" after rocketing up the leaderboard with a three-under 69.

Fraser, 41, has won three times on the European Tour during his long professional career.

But he's never experienced anything quite like what 13th Beach served up on Saturday.

"My old man plays off 14, he's a good golfer and I think he would have struggled to break 110 out there," said Fraser.

"I think that's as strong a wind as I've played in anywhere.

"If they hadn't slowed up the greens, I think it would be unplayable, but they've done a great job of putting the pins in the right spots and slowing the greens down."

The New South Welshman drew on all his experience to stay focused, as the late starters had to battle the worst of the weather.

"You just remind yourself that you've played golf for a long time and you know what to do," he said.

"One of the first lessons I ever got taught was that the wind is your friend and don't try and fight it."

The other two big movers on Saturday were Anthony Quayle (67) and Matthew Millar (68).

They made the most of early tee times to move into a tie for fourth at 10 under, with fellow Australian Ashley Hall (71) and second-round leader Robin Sciot-Siegrist from France (76).

After considering retirement due to injury last year, Jason Day says he is enjoying the grind of professional golf again after riding a red-hot putter into contention at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Former world No.1 Day - who sits just two shots behind the lead after two rounds - battled chronic back injuries throughout 2019 which led to a world rankings freefall and a withdrawal from the Australian Open and Presidents Cup in December.

"There were some dark moments," Day said after shooting a bogey-free round of eight-under-par 64 to race to 12-under.

"All last year, when I was playing bad golf and I was also injured, I talked to my wife and said, 'I think I'm nearly done here'. Just because of how much pain I was in."

Canadian leader Nick Taylor (66) tops the leaderboard at 14-under, while defending champion Phil Mickelson (64) is a shot behind Day.

Without a top-10 result on the US PGA Tour since June, world No.46 Day was relegated to the no-name rotation this week at Pebble Beach - away from golf stars and celebrity amateur playing partners he is normally grouped with.

But Day has quietly gone about his business, combining sublime ball-striking with a masterclass on the greens that six-time major winner Nick Faldo described as "the best putting style on the PGA Tour" while commentating for broadcaster Golf Channel.

Day made 138 feet of putts at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

His highlights included a 45-foot birdie at the par-3 fifth and a 51-foot birdie at the par-3 12th, before a 22-foot birdie at the par-5 18th.

He also chipped in for eagle at the par-5 14th from 40 yards away.

Day has ranked No.1 on the US Tour for putting several times, but during a lacklustre 2019 season, he fell to 30th on the greens.

But the 32-year-old has gone back to the red TaylorMade Spider putter he wielded during his dominant 2016 Players Championship win.

"Now, I feel pretty good over it," he said.

Without a US Tour win in 20 months, Day is hoping victory No.13 comes this week at the California pro-am event, where he has finished in the top-five each of the past three years.

"I don't know why I play well here, but I would like to change the top-fives; I would like to win," he said.

After Day, Aaron Baddeley was next best of the Australians at six-under, with Matt Jones and Greg Chalmers three shots behind.

John Senden (one-under), Rhein Gibson, Cameron Davis (both even) and Rod Pampling (three-over) round out the Australian contingent.

Australian veteran Greg Chalmers says a healthy dose of perspective is keeping him relaxed as he fights to stay on the US PGA Tour.

Chalmers is playing the US Tour this year on a major medical exemption and has five events remaining to earn 244 FedEx Cup points.

He needs a hot result and the gutsy left-hander gave himself a chance at this week's Pebble Beach Pro-Am, courtesy of a four-under-par 67 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Canadian Nick Taylor lit up Monterey Peninsula on day one with a 63 and at eight under leads by two shots from Patrick Cantlay (66, Spyglass) and unheralded Chase Seiffert (66, Pebble Beach).

Five-time major winner Mickelson sits four under while two-time Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Johnson is a shot further back.

The 46-year-old Chalmers recently took an 18-month break from the US Tour for 18 months due to severe back pain.

The Western Australian combined radical platelet-rich plasma injections and anti-inflammatory drugs to treat a torn ligament and widespread arthritis in his spine.

He played his first tournament in 12 months at the recent Australian Open, where he tied for fifth.

Chalmers needs to find that form on the US Tour, with a second place result enough to lock up his card.

Otherwise, he will have to chip away at it.

"I need a crazy good week any week during the five starts I've got left," Chalmers told AAP on Thursday.

"I need to play some great golf and not just one round. But today was a good start and we'll try keep going deeper tomorrow."

Chalmers has just one win on the US Tour and has managed to play 17 full seasons on the American circuit despite being relegated to the secondary tour several times.

The two-time Australian Open winner has promised to give this fight a red-hot crack, but he is unfazed if he fails.

"I've realised the world doesn't end when you lose your card; I've lost my card plenty of times and found a way to fight back to the PGA Tour," he said.

"It's not something I desire, but I know life keeps ticking along. I think I have better golf in me and today was a good sign.

"I'm pretty tenacious and I've had a great short game that has held me in good stead for more than 20 years on this tour.

"And I Iove the grind of pro golf; it's all I want to do. I have all my eggs in one basket, so I need to keep putting eggs in there. I just have to play well."

Boom amateur Jed Morgan knows he can't block out the hype after moving within three shots of the halfway lead in the men's Vic Open at 13th Beach.

Less than a month after lifting the Australian Amateur title, the 20-year-old Queenslander showed he could more than match it with the professionals, carding a second round of five-under 67.

It left Morgan in a tie for third at 11-under with countrymen Min Woo Lee, Jake McLeod and Matthew Griffin, the 2014 Vic Open champion.

The unlikely leader at 14-under is world No.401 Robin Sciot-Siegrist from France, who heads Australian Travis Smyth by a single shot.

Morgan was destined to be a golfer from a very young age as his parents owned the Hatton Vale course in southern Queensland.

With younger brother Lincoln as his caddy helping him stay relaxed, Morgan was mostly able to keep the nerves at bay on Friday.

"I haven't been in the last group of a tournament this big before so I'm excited," he said.

"I was a little bit scared but it's all going to happen in one hit.

"I'm going to learn as much as I can from the players around me who've been in this situation more times than me.

"I'd like to have made a few less mistakes but you can't do too much about that.

"I know I can't block it all out and I've got a few things going on with my sports psychologist, four points that we work on quite hard."

After earning his European Tour card at qualifying school last year, Sciot-Siegrist is on the verge of a big payday in his first trip to Australia, having signed for the day's lowest round of 64.

"It was quite a trip to come here but it's very nice and I'm happy to be here, even if it's just for one tournament," said the Frenchman.

"I'm pretty happy with what I've done already, but we're only halfway."

The scoring was red-hot for a second straight day at 13th Beach, with the halfway cut made at five-under.

Among those to miss out on the weekend play were the highest-ranked man in the field, Chinese Ryder Cup player Haotong Li, and the two most recent Vic Open champions, Scotland's David Law and Australian Simon Hawkes (all four-under).