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SYDNEY- Leading New Zealand amateur golfer Danny Lee faded after a rapid start to the Australian Open as he just scraped past the cut today.
The US Amateur champion began the second round three shots behind co-leaders Stephen Dartnall, Matthew Goggin and Ewan Porter after shooting an excellent four-under 68 yesterday.
But in calm, wet morning conditions at Royal Sydney, Lee's compass went awry with his prodigious driver and the putts failed to drop as he signed for a second round three-over 75.
It left him one-under overall, 10 shots behind clubhouse leader Dartnall, the relative unknown who shot 68 to go with his first round of 65.
The projected cut was even-par, meaning Lee would maintain his impressive record of making four cuts from five attempts in professional events this year.
Lee opened with a bogey on the par-four 10th, then gave his rapidly growing gallery something to cheer about on the 12th when he smacked his drive 280m then hit a wedge to tap-in distance for birdie.
But that was one of just two birdies in his round which included a double-bogey six on the par-four fourth when his drive and second shot both hit the trees.
"I played all right the first nine then it was the same thing, my driving was really bad and today I didn't putt it very well and the scores just kept rolling out," Lee said.
"It's not the weather, it was just where I was hitting it and where I putted it.... it just didn't happen today.
"I'll just try to practice on my drivers and putting and hopefully I'll play a bit better tomorrow."
Lee's compatriot Gareth Paddison also made the cut with an even-par 72 to leave him two-under after he shot 70 on day one.
It meant a welcome payday for the European Tour player who'd missed the cut in his previous four events: the Australian Masters, Madrid Masters, British Masters and European Masters.
The left-hander threatened a low score when he birdied his second and third holes, but bogeys on eight, 12 and 18 to go with a birdie two on the 17th halted his charge.
"A little bit disappointed but I'm always happy to make the cut. I've missed a couple and it would have been nice to finish on a good note. I've made the cut now and I'll see what I can do from here," Paddison said.
Leading New Zealanders Mark Brown and David Smail had just begun their rounds in rapidly deteriorating weather after both shot 67 yesterday.
- NZPA
