Kiwi Geary within sight of leaders

Kiwi golfer Josh Geary posted his second sub-70 round in as many days to ensure he will be among the contenders for the Australian Open this weekend.

Geary was five-under after rounds of 68 and 69 at the Open, played at the Victoria and Kingston Heath clubs in Melbourne yesterday. He finished in a three-way tie for third.

Playing Victoria for his second round, Geary had two bogeys and a birdie before he eagled the par-five 18th to sign for a one-under

69. He shot a four-under 68 at the par-72 Kingston Heath on Thursday.

Fellow New Zealander world No 27 Ryan Fox, meanwhile, ensured he wouldn’t miss a second successive cut in Australia with a second round of four-under 68 at Kingston Heath.

Fox had six birdies and two bogeys in his second round to be one-under for the tournament, after he opened with a three-over 73. Having missed the cut at the Australian PGA a week ago, Fox was safely through to the weekend with the projected cut at one-over.

Adam Scott shared the lead with compatriot David Micheluzzi after a spectacular finish to his courserecord-equalling second round at Victoria Golf Club.

Scott drained a long-range putt from off the green for eagle on the final hole to ice his flawless sevenunder-par round of 63.

He and Micheluzzi, who carded a 63 the previous day, are both at 134 after two rounds three shots ahead of the group with Geary.

Meanwhile the beach and margaritas will have to wait after Cameron Smith dramatically survived the halfway cut.

Smith looked headed for the Open exit gates after posting a second successive lacklustre one-overpar round on Melbourne’s sandbelt.

The superstar world No.3 was languishing in a share of 82nd position when he walked off Kingston Heath yesterday morning, seemingly resigned to missing the cut.

‘‘That was pretty rubbish out there today,’’ he said after mixing four birdies with five bogeys.

‘‘I was just really uncomfortable all day, kind of similar to yesterday. I just couldn’t quite hit the ball out the middle of the club face for some reason. ‘‘But I need to play better than that, even when I am tired. It’s probably the easiest this place is going to get.’’

After an uncertain sixhour wait, Smith learnt he’d climbed the leaderboard sufficiently to earn tee slot today right on the twoover cut number.

But, sitting 10 shots adrift of the co-leaders Smith still needs a minor miracle to complete the Australian PGA Championship-Open double.

His more immediate concern will be surviving the new Saturday second cut of top 30 players and ties, introduced this year to free up enough final-round fairway space for the women’s event being staged simultaneously.

● History-making Hannah Green could pen another chapter in golf’s history books after snaring the halfway lead at the event.

Green burst from a star-studded pack to claim a two-stroke advantage with a sublime six-under-par 66 at Victoria GC yesterday. With five birdies and a brilliant eagle two after driving the par-4 15th hole, Green surged to 11-under to seize control. The 2019 Women’s US PGA champion enjoys a two-stroke buffer over former world No.1 Jiyai Shin.