With an eye on the prize, New South Wales PGA Trainee Robbie Hogan leads the National Futures Championship after two rounds.

Firing 2-under 70 in the second round at Ballarat Golf Club, Hogan is now 7-under the card and leading the world’s richest Trainee tournament by one shot from overnight leader Frazer Droop.

“Today was good; I hit the ball pretty solid and I didn’t make too many mistakes out there. I had a few putts slip by but if I can putt like I did yesterday and hit it like I did today then I should have a good couple of days,” said Hogan, who kept his round on track after a challenging 9^th hole.

“On the 9^th hole, I hit a bit of a loose one out to the right and managed to chip out to get up and down from about 100metres. Then I went onto eagle the next so that was a big moment throughout the day and was very much needed.”

Hogan has been a regular at the top end of Trainee leaderboards over the past 18 months winning the 2016 and 2017 Queensland PGA Trainee Championship as well as the 2016 New South Wales PGA Trainee Championship.

Now in the final year of his PGA Traineeship at Toukley Golf Club, Hogan has been working towards a Futures victory.

“Being the world’s biggest Trainee event it would be awesome to win. It’s one that I have had highlighted this year,” added Hogan.

“I just need to keep it the same. I don’t tend to look at leaderboards; I find it easier to take it one shot at a time. It is cliché but it does work.”

A win this week could open a lot of doors for Hogan; the highest finishing Australian PGA Trainee this week will earn a start in the 2018 Australian PGA Championship.

It would be a big boost for the 22-year-old who is working towards a touring career once he completes his PGA Traineeship.

“The opportunities that Futures presents are fantastic and if I can manage to take hold of them that would be great,” said Hogan, who will attend Qualifying Schools for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour for 2018.

“Obviously the added incentive of the Australian PGA Championship next year up on the Gold Coast is huge.

“Sergio Garcia is playing this year; to play in the same field as someone like that would be awesome.”

However Hogan will need to overcome a quality PGA Trainee field before he looks to take on the best in world.

Overnight leader Frazer Droop fired 1-under 71 in the second round is now just one shot behind Hogan.

Outright third on the leaderboard after a second round 69 is New South Welshman Trent Smith.

Rounding out the top-5 on the leaderboard are Daniel Bringolf (NSW) and Correy Price (WA) who had rounds of 71 and 70 respectively.

The third round of the PGA National Futures Championship tees off at 7.30am tomorrow with the final group of Hogan, Droop and Trent Smith teeing off at Ballarat Golf Club at 9.38am.

For all round 2 scores please visit pga.org.au

For all round 3 tee times please visit pga.org.au.