Purcell best placed as Irish trio make cut at Australian Open

Min Woo Lee tapped in for an eagle at the last to take a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Australian Open on Friday and remain on course to back up last week's title at the Australian PGA Championships.

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Conor Purcell is best placed of the Irish involved, a second round 71 sees the 26-year-old on four-under par, eight shots adrift of Lee.

The Portmarnock man was left to rue double bogeys at the third and seventh, but a stronger back nine sees him in a tie for 27th.

Mark Power is a shot further back after posting a 73. Tom McKibbin snuck inside the cut after a 69. The 20-year-old will start the third round on -2, a shot inside the cut, despite a bogey at the last (9th).

Australian Lee however is the man to catch and had the galleries at The Australian course purring when he crunched a nine-iron out of the pine-needle scrub to within two feet of the pin at the 18th.

The putt was never in doubt and the 25-year-old added a seven-under-par 64 to his opening round of 67 at the neighbouring Lakes course to move to 12-under for the tournament, three shots clear of Scot Connor Syme (70) and American Patrick Rodgers (70).

"It's always nice to make an eagle whenever, but on the last hole, it's even nicer," Lee said after signing for six birdies, a bogey and the eagle.

The novel format of the Australian Open has men and women competing for their respective titles on the same layouts over two courses, although weekend play will be limited to The Australian.

Lee's older sister, double major winner Minjee, was playing in the group behind him on Friday and the whole family was at the course to cheer them on.

Shin shot a four-under 68 at The Australian to finish two shots ahead of reigning champion Ashleigh Buhai of