Armstrong edges one clear at Rockhampton Pro-Am - PGA of Australia

Armstrong edges one clear at Rockhampton Pro-Am


New South Welshman Josh Armstrong will take a one-stroke lead into the final round after producing the low round of day two at the Ian Weigh Toyota Rockhampton Pro-Am.

The $60,000 prize purse always ensures a quality field at Rockhampton Golf Club and the cream has risen to the top with one round left to play on Sunday.

With six top-10 finishes in the most recent ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia season, Armstrong has done everything but win, playing in the final group with Aaron Pike at the TPS Hunter Valley in March.

The big-hitting giant took his second round by the scruff of the neck early, opening with an eagle at the par-5 first in a front nine of six-under 30 to develop a handy advantage from the likes of Tim Hart, Damien Jordan and Tom Power Horan.

Bogeys at 11 and 15 were offset by late birdies at 16 and 17 for a round of six-under 66 and two-round total of 11-under.

Hart’s second straight round of five-under 67 puts him in outright second at 10-under with Jordan (68) in solo third at eight under.

Power Horan (70), Andre Stolz (69) and Brendan Smith (67) are tied for fourth at six-under and will need a fast start on Sunday to apply pressure to the front-runners.

“The course is presenting itself very scoreable,” Armstrong said.

“I’m holing putts when I really need to, hitting it pretty well and playing the par 5s well.”

While Armstrong’s eagle at one was a spectacular start to his round it wasn’t the best score on the hole on Saturday.

After making a bogey at one in Round 1, Aden Morrison started his second round by making an outstanding albatross, holing his 8-iron second shot from 160 metres for the rarest of twos.

So unexpected was Morrison’s feat, the 22-year-old first thought it had gone over the back of the green before its discovery in the bottom of the cup.

“It was such a surprise,” said Morrison. “We were all looking long because there wasn’t anything on the green and then one of my playing partners checked and it was in.”

The final round of the Ian Weigh Toyota Pro-Am starts at 6.50am Sunday morning with the leading group of Armstrong and Hart to tee off at 12.20pm.

Click here for Round 2 scores.


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