Ashley Hall set the clubhouse target in round two of the Australian PGA Championship on a day when he made ten birdies at RACV Royal Pines Resort.
The Australian faced an 03.17 alarm call as he had to return to complete seven holes after Thursday's storms but he was not fazed, making four birdies to hit the top of the leaderboard and four more to establish a commanding lead.
A triple-bogey then threatened to derail his second round but two further gains saw him sign for a second-round 69 and a three-shot lead at ten under.
Harold Varner III had also moved to the top of the leaderboard as he finished the first round with two birdies and he too had to overcome some adversity, registering two double-bogeys in round two.
The American had another big finish in the tank, however, and birdied three of his last five holes to card a level par 72 and sit at seven under alongside overnight leader Andrew Dodt, who parred his opening two holes.
New Zealander Ryan Fox was then one under for his first seven holes to sit at six under for the week so far.
Australia's Brad Kennedy carded a 68 to get to five under, a shot clear of England's Ian Poulter who carded the same score in just his second round on the European Tour since the Masters Tournament.
Hall made birdies on the 12th, 14th, 15th and last in his remaining seven holes while Varner's birdie-birdie finish in his first round saw him also join Dodt at the top of the leaderboard.
Both men had a quick turnaround to get back out for round two and it was Varner who took the solo lead with a birdie on the 12th but back-to-back double-bogeys on the 15th and 16th sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.
Hall lost out in a play-off at the Australian Open last time out and he was clearly riding that good form, making three birdies in a row from the 13th to become the first man into double figures and open up a three-shot lead as he turned in 33.
Another gain followed on the third but disaster struck on the next as he found the water and missed a short putt to surrender that triple-bogey. A bounceback birdie was to follow on the fifth and when he added another on the eighth, he was back into double figures.
Varner - who lost out in a play-off here last season - battled back from his own rough spell with a birdie on the 18th and a bogey on the second before making further gains on the fifth, sixth and ninth.
Kennedy was bogey-free in his 68 with birdies on the first, third, eighth and 17th.
Poulter birdied the tenth and while he bogeyed the next, further gains followed on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 18th and third before a second bogey of the day on the seventh.
Australian duo Matthew Griffin and Brett Rumford were also at four under after second rounds of 74 and 71 respectively.
