No Australian has ever won the R&A Women’s Senior Amateur. Sue Wooster and Nadene Gole, the two leading senior women on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, are hoping to change that over the next 36 holes at Woodhall Spa in England.

Wooster, ranked 395th, holds a one-shot lead over Gole, the highest ranked women senior at 244th. 

In the Men's Senior Amateur, Australian Ken Brewer missed the halfway cut by a shot after following up an opening round of 70 with an 82.

Reigning Australian Senior Amateur champion Wooster returned a 2-over-par 74 around the Bracken Course to go with her opening level par 73 on the Hotchkin. She sits on 147 to Gole’s 148. England’s Jackie Foster is a further shot behind.

“I’m glad that’s over,” Wooster said. “That was a very tough golf course.”

Strong winds meant the Bracken was playing probably two to three shots harder than the par of 72. So hard that Wooster failed to make a birdie.

“I can’t remember the last time that happened. I had a lot of chances, maybe six good chances, but I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole.

“Today’s was a case of just grind out it out. I’m happy with my two days. I’ve played solid golf and just wish more putts had dropped.”

Wooster and Gole will play the third round together.  

“How cool is it for two Aussies to be in the lead. We’ve played a lot of golf together and we’re good friends.”

Gole has recorded back-to-back 74s.

She began her second round with nine straight pars over the Bracken. She double bogeyed the 18th when she clattered her third shot into a tree 50 metres short of the green. 

“I played 17 really good golf holes and then just had that blip on the last," Gole said.

"I knew when I played my practice round the golf course was going to be a test of patience, and it was.” 

Gole is a reinstated amateur after spending seven years on the Ladies European Tour.

She won the 1996 Danish Ladies Open, but returned to Australia in 1997 and gave up the professional game to raise a family with husband Sam.

She regained her amateur status in 2016 but only started taking senior amateur golf seriously a few years ago when they changed the senior amateur limit from 55 to 50. 

She’s made the best of her reinstated amateur status, picking up three wins this year including the New Zealand Amateur Championship in March.