Carter (71), Kiwi Nick Voke (71) and Queenslander Kade McBride (68) are all tied at six-under par through 36 holes at Nudgee Golf Club, one shot clear of John Lyras (69), Denzel Ieremia (68) and Josh Armstrong (69).

Currently completing the Membership Pathway Program at The Stirling Golf Club in South Australia, Carter is playing in just his fourth professional event with a confidence level that rises with each start.

Starting Friday’s second round in the first group from the 10th tee, he dropped shots at both 11 and 12 but bounced back quickly, making birdies at 15, 17, two and six before a third and final bogey on the par-4 ninth.

The 29-year-old former concreter won the SA PGA Associate Championship by 15 strokes in August and followed that up with a win at the NSW/ACT PGA Associate Championship.

It is those experiences – and a tie for 23rd on debut at the WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie – that has instilled the belief that his game can compete at this level.

“It’s through the Membership Pathway Program that I had the opportunity to play some events,” explained Carter, who is already exempt into next week’s Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.

“That really helped me leading into Qualifying School. I felt relaxed to head to an event and play something like that, that really helped.

“I’ve certainly learnt that this is where I belong. Which is something that I had felt in the past but to be actually out here and doing it and feeling reasonably comfortable is something that does feel nice.”

Voke and McBride are both trying to kick-start careers that at various stages have shown signs of significant promise.

Voke won three times in the space of five weeks on PGA TOUR China in 2018 to graduate to the Korn Ferry Tour, McBride recording three top-six finishes in his first year in China in 2019.

They both have intentions to attend Asian Tour Qualifying School in January but Voke knows a strong summer stint on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia has the potential to also open doors to a main tour.

“If you’re high enough on this Order of Merit some really good doors will open,” Voke acknowledged.

“That’s the beauty of coming back to Australia. I was really looking forward to this. I had probably two events the last two or three months in the States and I knew there was a long stretch of events over here for the summer.

“I was excited because it’s so much more casual, so much more chill, lot more familiar faces, lot more laughs and a bit of banter.”

With the exception of Haydn Barron’s Round 2 best and equal course record of seven-under 65, few contenders emerged from the afternoon wave on Friday.

McBride was able to buck that trend with a bogey-free round built on smart strategy and a couple of crucial putts at key times.

“There were a few par saves, but that’s always going to happen around here,” said McBride, who had six top-20 finishes last season, the best a tie for 10th at the NT PGA.

“We were sussing out the course earlier in the week and we came to the conclusion that you can end up in trouble around here so easily and so fast that you’ve got to keep it as clean as you can.

“Here it asks you to play pretty safe but if you want to make a living out of golf you can’t play safe.

“That’s what a lot of the guys around here will struggle with, this conundrum of aggressive golf versus safe golf.”

Round 1 co-leader Lincoln Tighe (73) and 2002 Australian Open champion Stephen Allan (68) are part of a four-way tie two strokes off the lead, home-club favourite Scott Hend (71) two shots back in a tie for 16th.

Round 2 leaderboard

Round 3 draw

Round 3 of the Queensland PGA Championship will be broadcast live on both Fox Sports and Kayo from 2.30pm Saturday AEDT. Coverage of the fourth and final round starts from 12.30pm Sunday AEDT.