Casandra Alexander played herself into contention on Friday with a second round of five-under-par 67 in the Ladies European Tour’s Australian Women’s Classic at Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club north of Sydney.

The highest-ranked player in the field started her round on the 10th hole, and she was bogey-free through the turn with three birdies to her name. She picked up another three through the first five on the front nine, but she dropped two shots in the final four holes. However, she sandwiched a birdie on the seventh between those two dropped shots, and she goes into the weekend in fourth place on her own at eight-under-par.

She was two shots off the lead, which was held by Kelsey Bennett who posted a round of four-under 68 to move one shot clear. Two back from Sara Kouskova before the start of play, the Australian carded seven birdies and dropped two shots to lead the way on 10-under par heading into the weekend.

In a tie for second on nine-under par at were Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab and England’s Meghan MacLaren. The former, winner of the 2024 LET Order of Merit, followed up her first-round 67  with a 68 which included one dropped shot plus three birdies in her final seven holes.

Bennett is chasing a maiden LET victory this week having finished in third place twice at the Investec SA Women’s Open and Andaluciá Costa del Sol Open de España in 2025.

Caitlyn Macnab was one of 60 players who made the cut. She signed for a second round of level-par 72 to stay at two-under through 36 holes in a share of 22nd.