Elvis Smylie and Cam Smith lead a strong home field to a one-shot lead after the second round of the BMW Australia PGA Championship was postponed.
The second round of the 54-hole championship was played in bright sunshine on Saturday after heavy rain forced the cancellation of Friday's play at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.
On Thursday, Smiley birdied the final hole to take the first-round lead, then birdied the 18th hole to join Smith on the summit.
The 150th Open champion fired his lowest round of the day with a brilliant 65, which included seven birdies and one down, to set the club's target at 10 under while Smiley Then he mixed six gains and two bogeys in a 67 to dominate the leaderboard. The Australian finished at ten under.
Marc Leishman is their nearest rival at 9 under, with just five non-Australians in the top 16.
“It's good,” Smith said. “The weather was a little nicer today, always had a smile on my face and obviously the golf was good.
“It started out very solid and stayed there. There might be some bad shots at the end, but you expect that throughout the game of golf. So, yeah, all in all, very solid.
“I think this is my home event. This event has always been really good to me and it's always good to compete here.”
Aldridge Potgett got off to a stunning start with birdie-birdie and moved to seven under when he hit another three from five feet on the third hole.
That opened the door for Smith to join him at the top, with back-to-back birdies in the second round and another in the fourth.
The young South African was unfazed, however, as he continued to hit the ball on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes, finishing with a flawless 30 and a three-shot lead at 10 under.
Smith birdied the front nine to cut into the lead, and when Potgett bogeyed the 10th hole, the 2022 champion was just one shot behind.
The four-time DP World Tour champion came under intense pressure when he chipped in close on the 12th hole to return to the top spot at 9-under, but they were not alone.
Harrison Crowe briefly tied the game at the top with a birdie-eagle on No. 11, but took a step back with a double bogey on No. 13.
Smith chipped in to within a foot on the par-5 15th for birdie and became the outright leader at 10 under.
The leading Australian ran into trouble on the 16th tee, conceding his first shot of the day, while Potgett failed after missing a short birdie on the par-3 17th. Seize the opportunity and stay tied at 9 under.
The 31-year-old hit his tee shot to within three feet on the party hole to regain his personal lead at 10 under, which extended to two after Potgetter's bogey. Rod.
Smiley started the round with a bogey and then received a red card with finishes of third, seventh and 12th.
Cam Smith Best of the Top 65 🎥#PGAaunty pic.twitter.com/aLZuKMidut
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 23, 2024
He bogeyed No. 13, but responded with birdies the rest of the way, then continued on Nos. 16 and 18 to finish at 10 under with his Australian Compatriots fight side by side.
“I did really well,” Smiley said. “Birdie on 16, then hit a really good two-putt on 17 from a tricky spot. And then hit a really nice wedge on the last hole and made a nice five for birdie. foot.
“I think I see I'm tied for the lead, which is good. So I'm obviously in a good position going into tomorrow's race.”
Leishman, who had eight birdies and three fumbles in his 66, completed his birdie hat trick on the 17th hole and finished just one shot behind in third.
Potgett joins David Michelucci at one shot behind, while Briton Matthew Southgate, Swiss Joel Gilbach and Ben Eccles are seven under. .
Spain's Ivan Cantero and South Africa's Ryan van Velzen are just one shot behind six Australians; Jason Day, Cam Davis, Matias Sanchez, Lincoln Tiger, Harrison Crow and Jack Buchanan.
