With a history at Royal Fremantle Golf Club dating back to his days as a 12-year-old junior, Rumford shot 6-under 66 on Saturday to sit just two strokes back of fellow West Aussie Kirsten Rudgeley heading into Sunday’s final round.

Playing partner Anthony Quayle also shot 66 in Round 3 to be tied with Rumford and three others at 12-under par, the pair heading straight to the chipping green for a short game lesson from one of the world’s greatest exponents.

Now spending his time as a PGA Professional teaching out of Wembley Golf Complex, Rumford was happy to share his insights with a player he will be trying to beat in the final round.

“He asked me on the 15th and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go’,” said Rumford.

“Then we both started to make a couple (of birdies),” added Quayle.

“I was just signing my scorecard thinking, I wonder if he’d prefer to do it tomorrow, because I didn’t want to fill his head with anything.”

Quayle eagerly took up the offer, however, from a short game wizard who he has admired ever since his junior days in Queensland.

“I still remember watching ‘Rummy’ win on tour,” Quayle recalled.

“He won back-to-back DP World Tour events and I remember being a bit of a kid at the time and just thinking, Holy, that guy’s a gun.

“The first time I got to play with ‘Rummy’ was at Queensland PGA and I just loved it. I was just like, This is awesome.”

Having committed to play the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season rather than continue his career on the Japan Golf Tour, there is much for Quayle to play for on Sunday.

Currently in eighth position, he is the highest-ranked player on the current Order of Merit thanks to his tie for third at the BMW Australian PGA Championship and top-five finishes at both the Victorian PGA Championship and Gippsland Super 6.

With three spots on the DP World Tour up for grabs at season’s end, Rumford is backing his latest student to play his way back onto a major tour sooner rather than later.

“He’s got such a massive game,” said Rumford. “There’s a massive chance he’ll run top three.

“There’s a pathway to Europe and there’s always a pathway from Europe onto the PGA TOUR where his game is going to flourish anyway.

“What the PGA Tour of Australasia have done with the alliance with the DP World Tour, it’s a fantastic incentive for the guys to stay here.”