There are few more consistent players in Australian amateur golf than David Micheluzzi; this weekend he gets the chance to kick that reputation to another level.
Micheluzzi, 20, has built a magnificent resume around Australia without bagging the big wins of some of his peers.
But a magnificent six-under-par 66 on Friday has given him the whip hand as he chases the time-honoured Riversdale Cup in his home city, Melbourne.
Micheluzzi made a host of birdies and an eagle in round one, but gave most of them back on his second nine, the front, with four bogeys to start his second round at one under.
There were no such inconsistencies in round two with six birdies in a blemish-free round to give the Metropolitan and Cranbourne member a leading halfway total of seven under.
But there is no shortage of worthy challengers with defending champion and world No.22 Harrison Endycott chief among them just one stroke adrift.
The Avondale member fired his second consecutive 69 on Friday to slide into Saturday’s final group, where he’ll also be joined by New South Wales state teammate Dylan Perry.
Perry, of The Vintage, was also superb in the second round, matching Micheluzzi’s round with the same six birdies in another 66.
Remarkably, Perry, who endured a triple-bogey seven in round one, was still square through 27 holes before cutting loose with five birdies in seven holes on his second nine, the front side at Riversdale,
Victorian Cameron John is another at five under after an impressive 68, while South Australian pair Lachlan Barker and Joseph Hodgson are among a mini who’s who at four under, including Charlie Dann, Kyle Michel and NSW state team trio Josh Armstrong, Travis Smyth and Kevin Yuan.
Victorian Andree Lautee bounced back after a flat opening to match the day’s best 66 to reach three under, alongside mercurial West Australian Ben Ferguson (65).
In the women’s event, top-ranked Karis Davidson roared back into contention with a brilliant, if occasionally errant, five-under-par 68 that featured an incredible eight birdies.
The young Queenslander reached even par after her opening 78 and now trails just two players: first-round leader leader Gabi Ruffels, who shot 74 to sit at two under and new leader Ayaka Furue, of Japan, whose 72 left her at three under.
Royal Melbourne’s Alizza Hetherington shot the day’s only other sub-par round, with her 72 leaving her at one over and firmly in contention.