In the field of 60 professionals are many stars of Australian golf with triple crown winner Peter Lonard, US PGA Tour winner, Andre Stolz and Olympian Marcus Fraser to name just a few teeing it up in the popular adidas PGA Pro-Am Series event.

Also making a return is last year’s champion Matthew Millar whose victory at Wagga Wagga would complete an amazing run of four consecutive wins on the Riverina Swing but he will have to make up a six-shot deficit in Round 2 to do it.

Ideal conditions in the morning provided the opportunity for low scores and Simpson took full advantage.

Starting from the third tee, Simpson was making only steady progress at three-under through 13 but turned the tournament on its head with an eagle at the par-5 16th and then holing out with his second shot at the par-4 17th.

He added a fourth birdie at the 123-metre par-3 second – his final hole of the day – to set a mark of eight-under 64 that only one player would match by day’s end.

That man was Lucas Higgins (pictured), who thrust his name forward by taking the 36-hole lead at TPS Sydney at Bonnie Doon Golf Club.

Unlike Simpson, Higgins made his leaderboard impact early, playing his first six holes in five-under and then closing with three birdies in his final five holes to match Simpson’s Round 1 total.

Like Simpson, Brendan Smith had twin eagles in his round of seven-under round of 65 to be outright second with a quartet of players on six-under 66, Matthew Stieger, Lincoln Tighe, Nathan Miller and Damien Jordan all to start their second rounds just two off the lead.

The morning wave tees off at 7.30am with the leaders to begin their final rounds at 1pm AEDT.

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