Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee Lurking

Hometown favorite Minjee Lee and defending champion Lydia Ko sit six and seven shots back of SooBin Kim’s lead entering the second round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

“It was pretty steady out there, I didn’t have any major blow-out mistakes so I’m happy with my 3 under starting here at the Open,” Lee said.

Lee had five birdies against two bogeys on her card while Ko had four birdies and two bogeys.

“Yeah, I think probably had two real loose shots and I actually had to put myself in position the next time,” Ko said. “But overall I think I played pretty solidly. Not many putts dropped today but a lot of them were hitting the edges. And I think I’m putting a good stroke on it and, at the end of the day, that’s all I can do. “

Spider Woman Shoots 4-Under

The last time that Dani Holmqvist was in Australia for the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open she received national headlines after she was bit on the ankle by what officials believed was a redback spider during the 2013 qualifier and used a golf tee to pierce her skin and squeeze out the venom and then finished her round and shot a 74.

“Swedes think I’m stupid for doing what I did; Australians think I stepped into the spider’s territory and it can happen; and Americans are like, `Oooh, you’re black widow. You’re Spider Woman’. So it’s a bit different interpretation (around the world),” Holmqvist said

Today Holmqvist made headlines in a different way by firing an opening round 68 to sit in a tie for ninth.

“It’s nice to actually play the event now and not just talk about the spider but actually how I’m playing in it,” Holmqvist joked.

Casey Grice Making Most of First Trip To Australia

Casey Grice finds herself in the mix at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open after an opening round 66 has her tied for second.

“I hit the ball pretty well, so I was keeping it in play, but I made a lot of putts so it was really kind of the difference that when I got close I was making it,” Grice said. “I missed I think one putt all day so that’s a pretty successful round in my book.”

The University of North Carolina grad is making her fifth start on the LPGA this week after earning her full-time LPGA Tour Card through the Epson Tour.

“It’s been awesome,” Grice said of her first full season on Tour. “The girls are so nice, getting to meet everyone and a little different, it’s a little bit bigger stage, so I’m adjusting the nerves a little bit – especially the first two events. But it’s been awesome. I’ve met some great girls and just to play on the bigger stage is a dream come true, so I’m just enjoying every moment.”

Grice brought a friend, Alexis Belton, along to caddie for her on the trip and it’s been paying dividends on just her second trip outside of the United States.

“It’s been awesome,” Grice said. I’m so thankful to her just in general, being out here and helping me this week. It’s been fun to have a friendly face out on the bag on the golf course too, just really nice. This is the farthest I’ve ever been away from home, so it’s nice to have some people around me that I know.”

ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open First Round Notes and Interviews

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