The 22-year-old is three shots adrift of joint leaders Wei-Ling Hsu from Taiwan and Swede Madelene Sagstrom, who are 10-under after Friday's second round in Adelaide.

Green is tied for third and the highest-placed Australian at the Grange Golf Club after five-time winner Karrie Webb shot two-over, slipping to three-under overall.

"I paid the penalty for a lot of my missed shots ... I'm disappointed not to play better and be close to the lead," Webb said.

Webb is joined at three-under by compatriots Karis Davidson and the top-ranked local, world No.7 Minjee Lee.

Which leaves Green carrying parochial hopes for a local winner, a year after she finished third when riding waves of home-nation support.

"I had a mob screaming 'Greeny' (last year) and that actually settled my nerves surprisingly, so hopefully they can come out again," she said.

"Hopefully on Sunday I can be in that position again.

"Some people, it might make them more nervous but it settles me to know that everyone is rooting for me."

If Green captures the crown, she will be four years younger than countrywomen Webb and Jan Stephenson when they first won the national title.

The only other Australian to win the women's open is Jane Crafter.

The second round's big mover was American Nelly Korda, the daughter of former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda and sister of golfer Jessica Korda, who won the 2012 Australian Open.

Nelly Korda shot a six-under 66 to join Green and 2017 champion Haru Nomura from Japan in third spot.

They're all following the leaders Sagstrom and Hsu, who shot 69 on Friday to complement her opening round 65.

Hsu has set her sights on reaching a tournament total of 18-under - a score she believes will take the title.

Former world No.1 Lydia Ko missed the cut, finishing four over after a scrappy second round of 77.

But world No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn rallied after shooting four-over on Thursday to post a three-under second round.

Australian Associated Press