Giulia Sergas of Italy

Giulia Sergas leads the Handa Women’s Australian Open at Melbourne’s Commonwealth course by three shots - all thanks to an unusual approach to the game.

The 30-year-old, who today shot a bogey free four under 69, revealed she talks to the course to get her through each tournament.

“I try to establish a relationship with the golf course,” she said.

“We talk to each other and if you listen well and you don’t get caught up in your emotion, then the golf course really talks to you.

“When it is a difficult course like this, you really have to pay attention what it is saying at the moment.”

Sergas, on 7 under, leads Korean teenagers, He-Yong Choi and Soo-Jin Yang who are both on 4 under. A shot further back is Karrie Webb, Rebecca Flood and Austrian Stefanie Michl.

While talking to the course is one thing, Sergas also does handstands mid round to help an ailing back.

“It helps my back and pops. When I really concentrate and do it properly, it helps my back tremendously,” she said.

Sergas said her back is so bad that she does the handstand to put her back in a type of traction. She does the handstand and her understanding caddy, Lee Griffith, then holds her feet. She does a type of push up to relieve the pressure on her vertebrae.

“I really was embarrassed at the beginning but then people just laughed so I am okay with it,” she said.

Last week’s ANZ Ladies Masters winner, Karrie Webb, who is more accustomed to jumping into creeks after a victory, bounced back on Friday with a 3 under 70. It was an improvement on Thursday’s roller coaster even par round but still it could have been better. She three-putted the 13th for her only bogey of the day.

“I threw one away on 13 which was very disappointing, but you know it is Friday, if that happens on a Sunday you are kicking yourself,” she said.

“The first one was a bad putt and the second one was just lazy, there was a pitch mark in front of me and I didn’t take the time to fix it.”

Just four shots back at the halfway mark does not phase the 35-year-old.

“The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend and four shots is not much to make up,” she said.

Overnight leader Laura Davies is in a tie for 7th with Katherine Hull and amateur Alison Whittaker, after a 3 over 76 today.

World No 7 Yani Tseng, Australian Lindsey Wright, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Britain’s Felicity Johnson round out the top ten at one under for the tournament.