With winds gusting in excess of 60km/h for much of the day, Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club once again gave the field as much as it could handle… and then some.

Queenslander Louis Dobbelaar’s 2-under 68 was the best of the morning wave and was matched by local product Kerry Mountcastle in the afternoon, Truslow swooping past with the low round of the tournament, a 5-under 65.

As others struggled, Truslow made seven birdies to build on a 2-over 74 on Thursday morning and assume the 36-hole lead at 3-under par.

Victorian Todd Sinnott (71) is the only other player in the field of 139 under par, Mountcastle in solo third at even par as just six players went sub-70. Five players are at 1-over and in a tie for fourth, including last start Webex Players Series Sydney winner Declan O’Donovan (70).

Weekly mentoring sessions with O’Hern at the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Florida almost a decade ago proved pivotal in Truslow’s development.

Best known for his penchant for chipping one-handed – a technique he has employed on occasion at Paraparaumu Beach this week – Truslow was tied 10th at the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA TOUR in 2019 and has played extensively on the Korn Ferry Tour and Asian Tour.

“To see the scoring this week makes me pretty proud. We've always talked about this course being one of our best and compared to some of the conditions I played when I was a junior, it's not really that windy in comparison to that." - Kerry Mountcastle.

He had three top-10s on the Asian Tour last season and was tied ninth at the Philippine Open two weeks ago, calling upon his grounding with O’Hern in Friday’s second round.

“There is no way I could have shot that score without the work I did with Nick. No way,” said Truslow, who will have his mentor in the commentary booth for Fox Sports when he tees off in the final group on Saturday.

“I was really just trying to make the best decisions on every shot, which paid off today with the exception of two approach shots.

“Sometimes when you get those crosswinds on any given moment, it could help or hurt the ball 15 yards. And that was the thing today, you want to flight it really low with low spin so that the crosswind doesn't affect the carry number, but if you flight it really low with low spin on these greens, it's going to roll out 20 yards.

Paraparaumu, a postcard as always. PHOTO: Australian Golf Media.

“It's just a mixture of seeing your lie, seeing what opportunities you have with the shot, and then making the right decision from there and then making a good swing.”

Mountcastle was 4-over through the first 22 holes of his championship and staring down another missed cut before peeling off birdies at five, six, 15 and 16 to enter the weekend in a share of third.

Raised in Otaki 20 minutes to the north and a NZ Strokeplay champion at Paraparaumu Beach in 2018, a second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia win so close to home would be one to savour.

“It would be pretty special,” said Mountcastle, the Gippsland Super 6 champion in 2023.

“To see the scoring this week makes me pretty proud. We've always talked about this course being one of our best and compared to some of the conditions I played when I was a junior, it's not really that windy in comparison to that.

“It doesn't feel that tough. The pin positions are more difficult, way more tough than we’re used to, but in terms of the wind, it's just kind of another day here.”

The champion at Gulf Harbour Country Club in Auckland three years ago, Dobbelaar is leaning on some expert advice as he seeks a second NZ PGA crown.

Now tied 10th after his 68 on Friday, Dobbelaar played Wednesday’s pro-am with Cameron Smith’s caddie Sam Pinfold, with whom he is also staying with this week.

“Luckily got to play the Pro-Am with Sam this week and he gave me the ins and outs of the course,” said Dobbelaar.

“There’s a lot of little local things I think they pick up that we don’t quite get to see with only a couple rounds under our belt.

“It’s nice to get a bit of local word.”

Just six players broke par on Friday as the cut-line fell at 7-over, 54 players hoping for friendlier weather over the closing two days.