Aaron Pike hasn’t let a bout of the flu stop him as he shot
into the lead at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course.

Flying into Kalgoorlie with an illness he picked up in Korea, Pike would be forgiven for not feeling on top of his game.

Not one to let things get in his way, Pike fired 6-under 66 today to claim the halfway lead at the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship.

"I got really sick up in Korea last week, I still haven’t recovered. By the end of the round my throat just closes up and I can barely breathe," said Pike.

"Sometimes being a bit sick can help because you don’t go for too much, you play a bit smarter, you think things through. It’s not affecting my golf too adversely."

"I am playing really nicely; I’m hitting the ball well, hitting it close to the hole. I am probably not making my fair share of putts but that’s golf."

While his round was impressive, Pike believes it could have been even lower and is looking forward to getting back out there on the weekend.

"I started off quite well, I birdied the second hole, I was playing solid but probably wasn’t taking my chances early."

"We walked out of the scorers hut and my playing partner Rick Kulacz said I did that with ease and it was probably the worst score I could have had."

"I’m trying not to think about that, there are so many positives in my game at the moment I just need to keep plodding away and do what I can."

Pike has been a consistent performer on the Kalgoorlie layout and it feels like a win may not be far away.

"This is my fifth time playing here and I am pretty certain I have had three top-10’s and maybe even a fourth. It’s a course that suits me really well; I guess you can’t argue with the results," added Pike, who finished third last year.

"I played well here last year but ran into a couple of guys who were hot at the time."

Sitting just one shot behind Pike is Matt Millar who also fired a 6-under 66 in the second round in just his first trip to Kalgoorlie.

"Yesterday I really fought my golf swing on the first nine holes, it wasn’t ideal. My body was a bit sore and tired," said Millar.

"I figured if I could make a few putts and get past where the lead was yesterday, which I did, then I wouldn’t be too far from the mark, so I am pretty happy."

A long layout, this course wasn’t tipped to favour the consistent Millar, but he has shown there is more than one way to tackle the Graham Marsh design.   

"I hit a few good irons shots. Jarryd (Felton) asked my on the 15^th what I hit," added Millar.

"He hit a big sand wedge for his second and I hit a soft fading six iron inside him which he remarked on. I made birdie and he made par."

"I think if you have that control and you’re hitting it in close then there are chances. The ball is also running which helps and my wedge play has been really good."

Firing 8-under 64 today, Callan O’Reilly equalled the course record and is now tied third with first round co-leader Lindsay Wilson who had an even par round.

On 6-under the card after two rounds are Nathan Miller, Mark Brown and Daniel Valente.

A shot further back and rounding out the top-10 are Ryan Lynch, Stephen Dartnall, Jarryd Felton and Andrew Campbell.

The second round cut at the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship was made at 1-over the card with 53 Professionals making the weekend rounds.

In an initiative to involve keen golfers in the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship, golf clubs across Western Australia ran qualifying events as part of the TX Civil and Logistics Road to the Outback Challenge.

The top six teams, consisting of two players, from each of the four qualifying events held since the start of the year have earned the privilege of playing inside the ropes alongside the Professionals making the cut at the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship.

While not competing in the same competition as the Professionals, the amateurs will play a best ball format with their team mate, playing at the same time as the Professionals but not actually using the Pro’s scores.

The third round of the TX Civil and Logistics WA PGA Championship will tee off at 8am with the final group of Pike and Millar on course at 10am.