The Mollymook tyro carded a scintillating second-round three under par 70 to go with her opening round 69 to finish in a tie for 4th place after the 36-hole qualifying was completed earlier today.

After starting her second round on the back nine, Bennett got off to a slow start, dropping two shots in her opening nine holes.

Turning for home, however, she went on a tear, birdieing five holes in a row from her 10th (the first hole) to vault into serious contention for medallist honours.

A sixth birdie on the Par four 7th saw her get to eight under with a couple of holes to play, but she dropped a shot on her final hole, the par-three ninth, to finish at seven under par.

Bennett is now playing China's Jieni Li in the first round of the matchplay..

"I started off a little scratchy, the putter was cold early but then made a 2 putt on my 10th hole, which is hole 1, for birdie and they just kept going in. I had five in a row from then on."

"I just stayed positive and kept hopeful that they would drop and they did. I hit some really close ones too which helped."

Western Australia's Madison Hinson Tolchard was the only other Aussie to make the cut; the Oklahoma State Prididgy a shot back from Bennett at six under, while Queensland's Justice Bosio missed the cut by two shots after finishing seven over par.

MORE TO COME...