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Sydney’s Alex Edge employed his new-found attitude and went low for the second straight day to extend his lead at the Gippsland Super 6 at Warragul Country Club today.
The 33-year-old Edge, who is assistant professional at Castle Hill Country Club, added a second, consecutive 64 at the par-70 lay-out to jump back to the top of the leaderboard after the second round, despite low-scoring and challenges from players with earlier tee times.
Playing the back nine first, he rattled home on the front nine in 29 shots with birdies at four of his last five holes to reach 12-under par overall.
Seeking his first win on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Edge is three shots ahead of Melburnian Tom Power Horan and Perth’s Haydn Barron at 9-under.
Queenslander Chris Wood, Western Australian Hayden Hopewell and New South Welshman Justin Warren at 8-under are a further shot away.
It is a position that Edge has never seen before – he missed his first four cuts this season — but he is keeping it simple having this week watched a Youtube clip featuring all-time great Kiwi caddie Steve Williams talking about success.
“It’s been a while since it clicked into gear like this,” he said today. “It’s nice to see the putts dropping and the ball going where I want it to go.”
Edge said the lesson of watching Williams speaking was that you could try too hard. “It resonated with me,” he said. “I think you can make everything too complex when you’re not going well. You care so much. It’s your career and there’s money involved, and it’s just harder to free up when it’s like that. But when you’re playing from the fairways and greens and the putts are uphill and not too long, it’s a lot easier.”
Power-Horan reprised his career-changing 2019 victory at the Gippsland Super 6 tournament with a stunning, second-round 63 to jump to the top of the leaderboard for a time before Edge made his late flurry. He drove the green at the short par-4 sixth hole and made eagle from 12 feet, and threw in another six birdies in his brilliant round.
The 29-year-old Victorian was tied-12th at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship last month and also inside the top 20 at the WA Open to show growth at the beginning of the season.
“I feel like I’ve started the season pretty well,” said Power Horan. “I’ve been trying to put it all together. I probably haven’t putted and chipped as well as I could have, but this week I’ve putted well, so hopefully that continues.”
Barron is coming off a momentous week at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open where his amazing eagle at the 72nd hole bought him a spot in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool next July, courtesy of his top-three finish among players not already exempt for the Open.
It was a day of good conditions and low-scoring at Warragul.
Four players shot 63s – Power-Horan, Hopewell in just his third tournament as a professional, New South Welshman Justin Warren and Victorian Jack Harrison.
But while Chris Wood’s course record 61 from the 2021 iteration of this event was threatened, it remains intact.
The final two rounds of the Gippsland Super 6 will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo from 2.30pm Saturday and 12.30pm Sunday.
Round 2 leaderboard
Round 3 draw
GIPPSLAND SUPER 6
Format
The Gippsland Super 6 uses a unique format where 54 holes of stroke play are followed by the six-hole, medal (stroke) match play format on Sunday. A cut of top 50 and ties is made after 36 holes and then a second cut on Saturday for the top 24 to advance to the match play section. The top eight qualifiers after 54 holes receive a bye in Round 1 with the tournament culminating in a six-hole match between the winners of the two semi-finals.
Past winners
2021: Jack Thompson
2020: Marcus Fraser
2019: Tom Power Horan
Marquee players
Aaron Wilkin (Qld PGA champion)
Andrew Martin (Vic PGA champion)
Deyen Lawson (WA Open champion)
David Micheluzzi (WA PGA champion)
Jack Thompson (defending champion)
Dimitrios Papadatos (Vic Open champion)
Zach Murray (2019 NZ Open champion)
Devon Bling (2018 US Amateur runner-up)
Peter Lonard (3-time Australian PGA champion)
Nick Voke (3-time PGA TOUR China winner)
TV times
Saturday: 2.30pm-5.30pm on Fox Sports Ch 505 and Kayo Sports
Sunday: 12.30pm-5.30pm on Fox Sports Ch 505 and Kayo Sports
Total prize money
$200,000
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