Stefan Albinski has a habit of breaking records – and he’s on the verge of another.
Showing next to no signs of his 63 years, the ageless New South Welshman roared through the field to share the lead at the Australian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at Kooyonga in Adelaide on Wednesday.
Albinski, from Mona Vale Golf Club on Sydney’s northern beaches, has already won a record-equalling three national senior titles in its current format, the first back in 2008 at Royal Perth.
And with his spectacular second-round 68, he joined first-round leader, Canadian David Schultz, at the top of the leaderboard at six over par, one clear of Kym Olsen at +7, with his fellow Victorian Gordon Claney and West Australian Martin Minogue locked at +8.
Defending champion Greg Rhodes had clawed his way back into the mix at nine over before a double-bogey up the last hole dropped him back to five shots off the pace with one round to play.
After a flat 82 to open on Tuesday and a lone bogey going out after starting on the 10th in the second round, there was no sign Albinski was about to charge.
But the man who has remarkably won his club championship in each of the past five decades is made of sterner stuff than to roll over in a title he holds so dearly.
His birdie on the first (his 10th) was his first for the week, but sparked two more on the second and fourth holes to give him momentum.
Then a closing eagle on the long ninth brought him home in five-under 32 and having leapfrogged a dozen players in two hours.
Schultz, who opened 10 shots better at 72, also began on the 10th and made six bogeys through the 17th to bring the chasing pack back into play.
The 2013 Canadian Senior champion steadied on the front nine with nine consecutive pars, but there are now 16 players within seven shots of the lead.
The final round will be played on Thursday with the leaders off at 1:39pm Central Summer Time.