Heavy ground led officials to play preferred lies for the second straight day, Green and fellow Aussie Michael Wright taking full advantage to move into the top 10 at the halfway point.

Incredibly, Green and Wright were the only players in the field without a blemish on their cards in Round 2, Green posting 3-under 67 as Wright matched the low round of the day, a 4-under 66.

The pair are now in a tie for sixth at 2-under par, three back of New Zealand’s Steven Alker (67), American Tim Petrovic (66) and Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez (68).

It is a familiar position for Green who finished runner-up twice in senior majors last year among five for the season, a first Champions Tour win proving elusive for the 54-year-old.

Starting Round 2 with a birdie at the par-4 10th, Green turned in 2-under courtesy of a birdie at 18, keeping his card clean with an impeccable short game that saw him get up-and-down each of the four times he missed the green.

Wright needed to make par saves just twice as he hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation to climb 23 spots up the leaderboard.

Tied for seventh at Firestone 12 months ago – his best result in a senior major – Wright made just one birdie in his opening 11 holes on Friday but picked up shots at 12, 15 and 17 to book a later tee time alongside Retief Goosen and KJ Choi.

Queenslander Rod Pampling was the only other Aussie to go sub-70 in Round 2, making birdie at three of his final five holes to make a late charge into a tie for 30th.

Round 2 Australasian scores
T1        Steven Alker (NZ)         68-67—135
T6        Richard Green              71-67—138
T6        Michael Wright             72-66—138
T9        Mark Hensby               69-70—139
T14      Cameron Percy             69-71—140
T21      Steve Allan                   71-71—142
T30      Rod Pampling              75-68—143
T30      David Bransdon           72-71—143
T52      Stuart Appleby             73-73—146
T58      Greg Chalmers             73-74—147
T65      John Senden                77-72—149

Round 3 tee times AEST
1:30am             Rod Pampling, David Bransdon
2:12am             Steve Allan
2:12am*           Stuart Appleby
2:23am*           Greg Chalmers
2:33am            Cameron Percy
2:44am            Mark Hensby
2:54am*           John Senden
3:05am            Michael Wright
3:15am            Richard Green
3:26am            Steven Alker (NZ)

* Starting from 10th tee