Unheralded duo lead the way

Last updated: 14th December 2012

Daniel Popovic showed his opening 64 was no flash in the pan as he took a share of the lead into the weekend's running at the Australian PGA.

While the rookie couldn't replicate the hot streaks of day one, a lone blemish - a double-bogey on the 15th - in a round of 70 saw him share the lead with Xin Jun Zhang on ten-under after two rounds.

"I'm stoked, I can't get the smile off of my face actually," Popovic enthused after his round.

"It's an unbelievable experience, I can't even explain it, I'm lost for words explaining it."

Zhang notched up his second consecutive 67, starting strongly with back-to-back birdies, before a run of four birdies from the 12th to the 15th propelled him to the top of the leaderboard.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy is lurking menacingly in third, two strokes back from the leaders and tied with Matthew Griffin on eight-under-par.

Ogilvy has more than the title honours on the line at Coolum, with a top three finish likely to be enough to see him finish the year in the top 50 and therefore qualify for the Masters.

"I don't know if it has to be first to get into the top 50, but it probably has to be first two or three," said Ogilvy. "I don't study world rankings that much. But that would be a bonus, winning the tournament would be the best part, but if that was a side bonus that would be good."

"I feel like I am in a good place. It's nice I will be in one of the last few groups tomorrow and if I can have a good score, maybe get right up there after tomorrow and give it a crack on Sunday."

Brad Kennedy, Mathew Goggin and Steven Bowditch are a further shot back while Peter Senior, who won last weekend at the Australian Open, is tied for eighth with Rodney Pampling.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke is one of a group of ten on five-under-par.