Curtis Luck only made his way into the field for the Valspar Championship in Florida as an alternate.
The Perth star has certainly cashed in on his opportunity.
Luck, the 22-year-old Western Australian making his early strides as a professional after an outstanding amateur career, is tied-sixth through two rounds, after a 68 today.
He was just a shot from the lead but a bogey from the greenside bunker at his last hole, the ninth on the course, pushed him down.
Still, he is just two shots from the lead held by Englishman Paul Casey and American Austin Cook at six-under par.
Luck has missed six cuts in 10 starts on the US Tour this season, with just $US83,000 in prizemoney to show for it.
But he is not the only young Australian presenting himself well on the international stage. Victorian Lucas Herbert has been quiet since the rules infraction and subsequent controversy in a tournament in Dubai earlier this year, but he roared into contention in the European Tour’s Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
Herbert fired a second-round 69 to leap into a tie for fourth at six-under par, two shots behind midway leader Thomas Pieters.
Veteran Marcus Fraser and Scott Hend are also pushing into contention in KL along with another young star, Zach Murray.