Golf Digest/ LET TOUR: Australian amateur Kristie Smith upstaged the professionals by taking a one stroke lead at the halfway stage of the MFS Women's Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne.

A four-under-par 69 in the second round took the 19-year-old Western Australian to five-under-par for the tournament, one ahead of South Korean Ji-Yai Shin.

Defending champion Karrie Webb was well placed to take her fourth national title, just three shots behind the leader on two-under-par.

The 33-year-old World number three from Queensland carded a 72 to share third position with her fellow Australian Lindsey Wright and South Korea's Hee Young Park, who had a 73.

England's Kirsty S Taylor fired the low round of the day - a five-under-par 68 - which moved her into a share of sixth position on one-under-par with Carrie Wood of the United States.

Taylor, the 2002 rookie of the year on the Women's European Tour, fired four birdies in her first five holes, with one more at the par-four 16th.

Ireland's Rebecca Coakley missed the cut after adding a second 78, which included a double-bogey six at the last, for a 156 total.

Smith, who is a member of the Australian National Squad, finished tied for 25th in the MFS Women's Australian Open last year when it was played at Royal Sydney.

USPGA TOUR: JB Holmes set the early target at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona yesterday when he added a second round 65 for a halfway total of nine-under-par 133.

Holmes leads by one from Pat Perez, who also shot 65, with Charles Howell and Australia's Stuart Appelby sharing third place on 135.

Early second round scores: 133- JB Holmes 68 65, 134- Pat Perez 69 65, 135- Charles Howell III 67 68, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 69 66, 136- Kevin Stadler 69 67, Tommy Armour 67 69, 137- Jay Williamson 69 68, Kevin Sutherland 65 72, John Rollins 69 68, Nick Watney 71 66, 138- Stephen Leaney 69 69, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 68 70, Eric Axley 68 70.

SA TOUR: Grant Muller emerged as the surprise leader as the curtain dropped on the second day of the Nashua Masters on the Kwazulu Natal South Coast yesterday.

Adding a three-under-par 69 to his opening 65, Muller tops the midway leaderboard at eight-under-par 132.

Joint overnight leader Mark Murless got it to 10-under through 12 holes, but collapsed with back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th and a double drop at the 16th, where his third found the drink.

Murless birdied the 18th to finish with a 69 and leads the six-man group tied at seven-under 133.

Defending champion Jean Hugo dropped one shot on his way to a 65, while Englishman Justin Walters lost the lead at nine-under after hitting his drive on the last out of bounds.

He had to play his provisional and signed for a disappointing 68.

The rest at seven-under include multiple winners, Marc Cayeux of Zimbabwe (67) and Bradford Vaughan (66), as well as relatively unknown young gun, Dandre Neumeyer, who hit his approach to a foot at the last for a tap in birdie and a share of second with his 65.