Saturday is ‘Yellow Day’ at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, players and spectators alike honouring the legacy of Jarrod Lyle by donning their best yellow attire for day three.

Andrew Kelly (63) and Andrew Martin (66) are tied at the top through 36 holes at 12-under par, one clear of Kiwi pair Michael Hendry (66) and Kazuma Kobori (66) and Japan’s Kotono Fukaya (68), the leading player among the WPGA Tour contingent.

Eighteen WPGA players made the cut which went out late to 3-under, a total of 51 players advancing to the weekend rounds where they will be joined by competitors in the All Abilities and Junior Players Series tournaments.

Kelly is spending the week commuting between Barooga and his parents’ house in Wangaratta little more than an hour away.

Tied for third at the NT PGA Championship in the second event of the season, the 36-year-old had five birdies in his first six holes on Friday morning.

He made the turn in 6-under and moved to 7-under with a birdie at the par-5 first. A dropped shot on two would be his only blemish of the day as he matched the low mark of the week set by Lincoln Tighe on Thursday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA Tour of Australasia (@pgatouraus)

Conceding that it is the best sustained period of golf he has ever produced on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Kelly was grateful for a birdie early in his round that somewhat set the tone.

“Fifteen, the par 5, was playing a little longer today so I tried to lay up and I hit my lay-up into the trees,” said Kelly.

“I was pretty happy just to get it on the green and then holed a 10 or 12-footer down the hill for four.

“That’s when you kind of think, Things are going my way for sure. It’s not just good golf.

“As you start to get older you realise that’s just part of the deal.”

Runner-up to Sarah-Jane Smith 12 months ago, Martin (pictured) defeated Lyle at the Australian Amateur 20 years ago, the pair growing up just 90 minutes apart in Bendigo and Shepparton respectively.

Now a two-time winner on Tour with status on the DP World Tour this season, Martin admitted that victory this week would have a home-town feel to it.

“Not being far from where I grew up, I played a lot of junior stuff here, it’s close to home so it’s nearly a home game,” said Martin.

“I like playing up on the Murray. I don’t think they get enough recognition up here but the course this week is one of the best we have played all year, condition-wise as well.”

Making his first start of 2024, Martin said his opening tee shot in his round of 64 on Thursday helped him to settle into his work.

“Over the break I did a little bit of technique stuff and spent more time on the range rather than out playing. I did say to my coach last Friday that I just had to get out and play now,” he added.

“My driver was probably the one that let me down a little bit late last year so I saw the Titleist boys on Tuesday. It was feeling good, just wanted reassurance really.

“I started on 10 and when I hit my tee shot and it was a good one I was like, we’re sorted. It was just good to see.”

The Kobori siblings – who will play together in Round 3 – are separated by just one shot ahead of Round 3, younger brother Kazuma edging one clear of Momoka who is in a tie for sixth along with Austin Bautista (69) and South Australian Jak Carter (66).

Barooga local Steffi Vogel followed up her round of 65 on Thursday with 69 Friday to be in a tie for ninth, Malaysia’s Ashley Lau and part-time pro Brendan Smith each posting 7-under 64 to play their way into the top-20.

The final two rounds of the Webex Players Series Murray River will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.

Round 3 coverage begins at 4pm on Saturday with the final round to be broadcast live on Sunday from 2pm-7pm AEDT.