Three back when he began his second round after early surges from major champions Padraig Harrington (67) and Stewart Cink (66), Hensby continued to plunder birdies on the front nine to join them at 6-under by day’s end and three clear of the field.

After his struggles in Round 1, Hensby returned to the back nine to start his second round and made par his friend to turn level with the card.

He countered a bogey on 10 with birdie at the par-3 12th, holing a number of crucial par putts inside 10 feet to maintain touch with the top of the leaderboard.

The 53-year-old birdied three of his opening four holes on the front nine only to drop off the pace with bogeys at five and seven.

But a superb putt after hitting his playing partner’s ball at the par-3 eighth and second shot that found the green at the par-5 ninth produced consecutive birdies to close out a second straight 3-under 67 and join Harrington and Cink on top heading into the weekend.

“I played really well the back nine and then got off to a good start on the front nine again,” said Hensby.

“Then got a little scratchy. But changing some things in my swing, it seems like it just disappears at certain times. But, overall, I played pretty solid today.

“I don’t think I fired at a flag on the back nine today, which was my first nine. I was just trying get it to spots where I was comfortable two-putting or trying to two-putt from.

“Obviously that’s hard to do around here but I think the pin positions dictate everything, what you’re going to do for the rest of this tournament.”

Fellow Aussie Scott Hend also picked up shots late in his round of 1-under 69 to move into the top 10 through two rounds, Stuart Appleby, Rod Pampling and Kiwi Steven Alker a further shot back in a tie for 15th.

Rd 2 Australasian scores
T1        Mark Hensby               -6
T10      Scott Hend                   E
T15      Steven Alker (NZ)         +1
T15      Stuart Appleby             +1
T15      Rod Pampling              +1
T25      Greg Chalmers             +2
T25      Richard Green              +2
T25      Steve Allan                   +2
T38      Cameron Percy             +3
MC       Michael Campbell (NZ) +7
MC       Mathew Goggin           +11
MC       Brendan Jones             +13
MC       Richard Lee (NZ)           +15