Tied with Jack Wright for the first two days, Taylor responded to a front nine of 2-over 38 with five birdies on the back for a round of 2-under 71 and 7-under total through 54 holes.

He is the only player in the 90-strong field to be under par in each of the first three rounds after Wright dropped seven shots off the lead with a round of 5-over 78 on Wednesday.

Pampling Plate runner-up Dylan Knox (Indooroopilly Golf Club) is the only other player in red figures through three rounds but faces a daunting task to rein in Taylor over the final 18 holes.

A far different looking scorecard to his bogey-free 70 the day before, Taylor credited a brilliant tee shot at the par-3 11th for sparking his back-nine birdie barrage.

“I got off to a bit of a shaky start,” conceded Taylor, who had four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine.

“Made a soft par on one and then I just had a few bad breaks with lies and left the ball in the wrong positions to make pars and give myself looks at birdies on the front.

“I made a good birdie on six from an awkward lie but on 10 I said to Chaz, my caddie, ‘Let’s just play golf.’

“I hit a really good shot into 11 to about two feet and made birdie there. That kicked it off on the back nine.”

Knox played his way into contention with the equal-best round of the day, a 3-under 70.

One-over through eight, Knox also made his move on the back nine at Windaroo Lakes, playing his final 10 holes in 4-under to earn a spot in the final group.

“Riley has a big lead but you never know,” said Knox.

“I had a red-hot putter on the back nine. To have 3-under on that back nine on this course is very satisfying.

“I have been playing well finishing second at the Pampling Plate and riding the wave while it is flowing.”

While many in the field have shied away from using driver in order to find the narrow, twisting fairways, Taylor won’t change his approach despite the advantage he will take into the final round.

“The game-plan’s not going to change. I’m going to play my own game and see what happens,” said Taylor, who is in Year 3 of the Membership Pathway Program.

“I know a lot of the boys have said how tight it is to hit driver but I find that a lot of the holes suit how I hit it.

“Not so much trying to hit it long but I feel comfortable in hitting driver in play around here.”

Matching Knox for round of the day were interstate pair Rhys Tonkin (Keysborough Golf Club) and Brad Doherty (Castle Hill Country Club).

“Was great to get back into contention with a few good-length birdie putts which kept the momentum going,” said Doherty, who is in a tie for fourth with Dylan Gardner (72) and Jack Harrison (71).

“We have seen some big leads over the past few years evaporate around this the Windaroo Lakes layout so the final day will be interesting.”

The final round of the Queensland PGA Associate Championship will begin at 10.40am on Thursday with the final group teeing off at 11.50am.

The 2023 championship marks the fifth year in succession that it has been held in the City of Logan.

Round 3 scores

Players were greeted by conditions more conducive to low scores yet it was again Taylor (pictured) and Wright who led the way.

The pair followed up their rounds of 2-under 71 on day one with matching rounds of 3-under 70 to sit five-strokes clear of third-placed Joe Kim (Concord Golf Club) and six clear of Douglas Chow (RACV Royal Pines Resort).

Currently based at Murwillumbah Golf Club, Taylor is in the process of moving back home to Casino where he will continue the Membership Pathway Program while Wright is in Year 1 of the program at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club.

They will play together in the final group with Kim and Chow at 12.40pm AEST on Wednesday, Wright excited at the prospect of renewing their junior rivalry.

 “I’ve played a lot of golf with Riley. We’re both from the North Coast of New South Wales so played heaps of junior golf with him,” said Wright, who won the NSW/ACT PGA Associate Championship at Tura Beach Country Club last month.

“He’s such a great guy so look forward to playing with him and try and play my best.”

Taylor went bogey-free in Tuesday’s second round, relying on his short game to keep a clean card early in his round.

“I got off to a bit of a shaky start so I had to rely on my short game today,” said Taylor.

“I missed a few greens early but managed to get those up and down and build from there.

“I chipped the ball really well today when I missed the greens so that’s a confidence boost heading into tomorrow.”

Taylor came into the tournament without having touched a club since the Pampling Plate at Caboolture but believes he has found the formula for success at Windaroo Lakes.

“I’ve been aggressive when you can be aggressive and played smart when the holes get a bit tighter,” he added.

“Just keep it the same and try and keep the ball below the hole.

“It will be much the same of that tomorrow.”

Defending champion Bailey Arnott bounced back from a 79 in Round 1 with the best of the day in Round 2, his 4-under 69 elevating him to a share of fifth at the halfway mark.

Arnott had an eagle and four birdies on Tuesday, all despite being without the use of his driver from the second hole onwards.

After damaging the face of his driver with his opening tee shot Arnott reverted to a 3-iron for the remainder of his round, admitting that it may have helped to unlock scoring opportunities on the twisting layout.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” said Arnott.

“At this course you don’t necessarily need a driver and it just shows that you when you are forced not to take driver what can happen.”

Round 3 begins at 10.30am tomorrow with the leading group hitting off at 12.40pm.

Round 2 scores

Round 3 draw

Returning to the City of Logan for the fifth time, only three of the 90 Associates from across the country broke par on day one, Wright and Murwillumbah Golf Club’s Riley Taylor both posting rounds of 2-under 71.

Maroochy River Golf Club’s Andrew Johnston defied the tricky conditions to turn in 5-under but stumbled on the back nine, the third player to go under par with a round of 1-under 72.

The NSW/ACT PGA Associate champion at Tura Beach, Wright is amassing one of the most impressive seasons by a first year Associate in the program’s history.

He boasts nine wins already this year and had three birdies and a lone bogey to start his quest for the Queensland title.

“I felt like I didn’t really have it early and grinded well, made a couple of good up-and-downs,” said Wright.

“I had a couple of soft bogeys but then I started to work things out and it was pretty good for the rest of the round.”

Although many of the field have prior knowledge of the twisting Windaroo Lakes layout, Wright found the right formula in his first start in the championship.

“You’ve just got to find fairways and hit greens in the right areas,” he added.

“You can’t just go blasting away at the green, you’ve got to find the right areas and leave yourself some good putts because the greens are pretty tricky and they’re fast as well.”

He has something of a surprise for company at the top of the leaderboard in Taylor.

Currently in the process of moving back to his home-town of Casino, Taylor has also had recent surgery, making practice something of a luxury.

“Since the Pampling Plate I haven’t really touched a club,” said Taylor, who had five birdies and three bogeys in his round on Monday.

“I’ve done the bare necessities in terms of practice but I’ve had a few things going on in my personal life.

“I haven’t really done much practice, just little drills here and there.

“Having played here last year I knew that I couldn’t go above the hole today so I played short of the hole and uphill putts for most of the day.”

Johnston had four birdies in succession from the sixth hole to burst clear of the pack, admitting that the putts didn’t fall like they did on the front.

“It just clicked. All the numbers were just the right numbers and all the putts just rolled in,” Johnston said of his front-nine charge.

“Turned front nine in 5-under and then the back nine tightened up a bit. Left a couple of putts short and didn’t have that luck that I had on the front nine.

Round 2 will begin at 7am Tuesday morning.

Round 1 scores

Round 2 draw