Aaron Pike and James Grierson began the second round with a one-stroke lead after matching 7-under 66s in Round 1 but it would take another low round to maintain pace on a hot day of scoring at Tieri Country Club.

Paired together in the final round, Doug Klein and Brett Rankin began the day one stroke off the lead and both shot 7-under 66 to reach 13-under.

Hart was four back at the start of play but produced a customary scorching second round to also reach 13-under.

Starting from the fourth hole, Hart took just two holes to put the hammer down, making four straight birdies from the sixth hole.

He suffered a slight stumble with a bogey at the par-4 10th but made five birdies on the back nine to reach 8-under on his round with three holes to play.

Aware that par on his final hole – the 188-metre par-3 third – would be a good score, Hart added further birdies at one and two to reach 10-under on his round heading to the final hole.

“I just knew that I was going to finish on the third which is probably the toughest hole on the golf course,” said Hart of starting on the fourth hole.

“You’ve got to hit a really good iron shot.

“Got off to a pretty hot start and just knew that I had to go really low today to be any sort of chance.

“Managed to keep making birdies and made a nice par on the last to give myself a chance.

“I thought one of them was going to eagle 18 but it didn’t happen so we were all tied up.”

Playing in the same group, Rankin and Klein went birdie-for-birdie throughout the second round.

Rankin began with a birdie on one but it was Klein who had to hot hand early, starting eagle-birdie and reaching 5-under on his round through six holes.

Despite two double bogeys on the back nine, Klein maintained his aggressive approach, making five birdies in his final seven holes to finish tied at the top.

“Birdies were king out there,” Klein reasoned.

“No one was going to lose it; we had to go out and win it.

“You’ve always got to keep pressing otherwise someone is going to shoot lower than you, it’s as simple as that. Just keep making birdies regardless of what the score was and hopefully win by a margin.

“That was the plan.”

Rankin’s round was a little less volatile than Klein, making eagle at the par-5 sixth and a lone bogey on nine in his round of 7-under 66.

Hart’s stunning second round gives him a one-stroke lead in the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series, a combined 31-under through five rounds with Klein second (30-under) and Shae Wools-Cobb third (28-under).
The Mining Towns Series now moves on to Clermont Golf Club for the inaugural Clermont Golf Club Pro-Am.
Final scores and prize money