Seven of those birdies belonged to the leader at the halfway mark, Chris Wood, who mixed in one bogey to sign for a Friday 66 (-6) that took the Queenslander to nine-under and the lead on his own.

Returning to tournament play after a quasi-break following the end of the 2022/23 PGA Tour of Australasia season, Wood believes a relaxed attitude has helped him find some form at the first event of the new Aussie Tour season.

“I actually haven’t been playing a whole lot of golf, I’ve just been going down in the afternoons and just doing a bit of chipping and putting and stuff. Haven’t really been doing a lot of swing stuff,” Wood said.

“I am just happy to be back competing after a little bit of a break and just accepting whatever happens up here.”

What happened for Wood was a magical run around the turn where he made four straight birdies starting with a pair to close the front nine at the consecutive par-5s. He added one more at the lone par-5 on the back nine, the 15th. Wood’s success largely thanks to a hot putter on the tricky and occasionally bumpy Royal Port Moresby greens.

“The greens are obviously a bit tricky, you’ve just got to accept that you’re going to miss some short ones and hit a lot of good putts and they’re not going to go in as well,” he said. “Managed to hole a few putts the last couple of days. Happy where the putter is at.”

RIGHT: Lachlan Barker backed up his opening 67 with a 70 to sit in second alone. PHOTO: Australian Golf Media.

Happy was also understandably the word for the man in second place alone through 36 holes, first round co-leader Lachlan Barker managing his way around in two-under 70 to sit at seven-under-par.

“Very happy with how I managed today, had the opportunity to get a little angry early, but didn’t and towards the end of my round, hydration management was good, so looking forward to the weekend,” the South Australian who had lit up the front nine with birdies on Thursday said.

Despite only finding four birdies on Friday, Barker is well aware that there are more to be made on the par-72 and hopes they come his way on Saturday.

“I know a low one is out there. Nearly had a really low one yesterday, so excited about that … the prospect of going low on the weekend,” the 24-year-old said.

Not struggling to make birdies on Friday were West Australian pair Ryan Peake and Cooper Geddes who shared low round of the day honours with seven-under rounds of 65.

Geddes’ round was bogey-free and a remarkable 10 shots better than his first round of 75, a putting tip from roommate for the week Zachary Maxwell helping to drive the improvement.

“Yesterday I played well, I was just slightly missing everything, slightly off the fairway and it’s hard to control your ball when it’s in the rough here because you can’t get really a clean lie. Today I drove it straighter and gave myself a lot of opportunities,” said Geddes, who sits in a share of seventh at four-under.

“I am just happy to be back competing after a little bit of a break and just accepting whatever happens up here.” - Chris Wood.

“Zach told me to try and dribble the putts in because that way it will have a chance of catching a lip and that’s what I did today and a few more went in.”

For his part, Peake experienced an up and down day, with five birdies on the front nine against one bogey and a solitary birdie on the back half combining with a chip-in eagle to lift him in to a tie for third at six-under with Peter Martin and Liam Georgiadis, Jack Munro one shot back in sixth on his own.

Peake’s day included trusting his local caddie to read his putts and a handy bounce off some sponsor signage at the last. The canvas sign long of the par-3 last repelling the ball towards the back of the green, Peake getting up and down for par.

“Little bit different to yesterday out there. I drove the ball really well, I think that is the main priority around here is getting that ball on the fairway, it can just jump out of the rough,” Peake said. “Even from the fairway it is no guarantee. I think you just cop that for what it is around here, it’s happening to everyone.”