Consistency has paid off for Tom Brockelsby (Royal Wellington) who yesterday added a 66 to Thurday's 67 to be at 9-under-par and take the lead at the halfway stage of the South Island men's championship.
It is extremely tight at the top of the leader board at St Clair with Brockelsby holding a one-shot lead over New Zealand under-19 representative Mark O'Malley (Ashburton), who fired a 5-under 66 yesterday.
Blair Riordan (Takaka) and Andrew Stewart (Omokoroa) are tied for third one further shot back while four players are in striking distance on 136.
First-round leader Simon Brownlee (Gulf Harbour) is one of this quartet after finishing 2-over-par on 73 yesterday.
Brownlee made a poor start but fought back to be square with the card playing his final hole - the ninth.
He then made a disastrous finish with a double-bogey seven on a hole which many of the leading bunch birdied.
After a three-way tie for the lead in the women's event after the first round, Caroline Bon (Northland) posted a 4-under 70 to be 8-under and lead Zoe Brake by two.
Liv Cheng (Manukau) is third on 143 while Lisa Wright (Nelson) and Sunwoo Bea (Harewood) share fourth place a further shot back.
The cut for the men was at 147 with 62 players to tee off this morning.
Fifteen women made today's field on 152 or better.
One disappointing factor in the event has been the performance of Otago players, with Brent McEwan (St Clair) the best male in a tie for 22nd on 141.
Sean Roach (Arrowtown) and Chris Snow (St Clair) are tied in 33rd on 144 and Hamish Ireland, Duncan Croudis and Thomas Facer (all Otago) are tied for 40th on 145.
Tony Giles (St Clair), Bruce Grant (Queenstown), Brandon Hodgson (Otago) and Craig Scott (St Clair) are one shot further back.
In the women's event, Shani Arona and Laura Hoskin (both Arrowtown) missed the cut leaving Nyree Malone (St Clair) as the sole Otago golfer.
A feature of the event has been the low scoring but this may come to an end this weekend, if a predicted change in the weather finds some players lacking.
