Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and new DP World Tour member Daniel Rodrigues are in a share of the lead after the second round at the Crown Australian Open, with a stellar chasing pack in close pursuit.
After high winds made scoring challenging in the opening round at Royal Melbourne, conditions proved more favourable on Friday with a host of low totals over the world-renowned Composite Course.
Denmark’s Neergaard-Petersen followed up an opening 67 by going one better to reach nine under, with Rodrigues of Portugal – a recent graduate of the Qualifying School – joining him after carding a seven-under-par 64 for the low round of the day.
They lead the way from Australia’s Min Woo Lee who is one adrift at eight under after a 65 that included a hole-out eagle, with his countrymen Adam Scott and Cam Smith along with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz two back at the halfway point.
Neergaard-Petersen is riding high on confidence after earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR at the end of last season's Race to Dubai and is targeting a maiden DP World Tour title this week.
Starting his second round from the tenth, the 26-year-old followed back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th with an eagle at the par-five 14th before his lone dropped shot of the day came at the 18th.
He was flawless over the layout's front nine, making a pair of birdies at the fifth and sixth with accurate iron play, and is excited about his chances in Victoria.
"It's been a couple of really good days," he said.
"I thought yesterday I stayed really, really patient and was able to put together a nice finish and then today I got off to a really good start and I think from there pretty much I hit a lot of really good golf shots, gave myself a lot of chances and was able to convert some of them.
"So two really good days work and looking forward to the weekend."
Rodrigues is a new name for many having come through all three stages of DP World Tour Qualifying School to earn his playing privileges for the first time this season.
After opting to pull out of PGA TOUR Qualifying School to commit to a schedule on the Race to Dubai, he is making a quick impression Down Under after finishing in a tie for 33rd at last week's BMW Australian PGA Championship.
After a steady start of five consecutive pars, the 23-year-old, who turned professional last year, bounced back from a bogey at the sixth with a trio of birdies to end his front nine.
Things would get better with further gains at the 11th, 13th and 14th before he finished birdie-birdie to join Neergaard-Petersen at the top of the leaderboard.
"It was really solid," he said. "It was really good. I think a seven under at Royal Melbourne is going to be good either way.
"It was a little bit of a rough start on six, but I made it actually a really good putt for bogey and gave me some confidence for the rest of the round and it was very good."
Asked how he is finding the initial adjustment to life on the DP World Tour, the Texas University graduate added: "Well, so far so good. I think the start in Australia has been awesome.
"It's a little bit different than what I was used to, but it's good and I'm glad I'm here."
Lee spoke pre-tournament of his burning ambition to win his national open for the first time and complete a double header of wins on home soil having won the BMW Australian PGA Championship in 2023.
Already two under for the day at the turn, he produced a moment of brilliance to hole his approach shot for an eagle at the tenth before picking up shots at the 14th and 17th.
Scott, who was playing alongside Lee and Rory McIlroy in the headline threeball of the opening two rounds, made an eagle at the par five 14th for the second day in a row alongside four birdies and one bogey to post a 66.
Fellow Major champion Smith, who missed the cut last week in Brisbane, showed signs of a return to form as he made six birdies in a flawless 65, while Ortiz mixed four birdies with three bogeys for a 70.
World Number Two McIlroy birdied three of his final four holes to safely progress through to the weekend at two under, with last week's winner David Puig among those to miss the cut at level par.
