Overnight leader Chris Downes maintained his one-stroke lead ahead of defending champion Steve Allan and American Ricky Barnes after today's second round of the Australian Open.
Downes fired four birdies on the back nine for a 70 and a two-round total of seven-under-par 137 after shooting a 67 yesterday at the new Moonah Links par-72 course, 100 km south of Melbourne.
Allan also finished with a string of birdies, picking up five shots from the 12th hole onwards to shoot a six-under-par 66, the best round of the tournament so far.
The fresh-faced Allan, 30, joined 2002 U.S. Amateur champion Barnes, who entertained the crowd by pulling faces during his second consecutive 69, on six-under-par 138.
Nathan Green with a 70, Australian PGA champion Peter Senior who shot a 68 and Michael Wright who also had a 68 were equal fourth on five-under-par 139.
Australia's Stuart Appleby, the highest-ranked player in the tournament, had a one-over-par 73 after his first round 69 to drop to two-under-par 142 in equal 20th place with six others including world number 16 Robert Allenby who shot a 70.
Downes, who had slumped to two-over-par after 10 holes, said: "I was battling out there. It's a brutal course. "Obviously it does a lot for my confidence to play the last eight holes in four-under-par."
Barnes, 22, was also finding the British Open-style links course challenging. "I'm a real emotional player. I probably like a lot of facial expressions. Some of the times I'm not so happy," Barnes said.
"After a shot I let it go and start telling jokes again. I think of playing football and basketball back in the days when you were able take your aggression out by hitting someone or banging someone down low.
"In golf you can only bang your caddie or your clubs. I tend not to do the caddie too much."