Defending his maiden PGA Legends Tour title, Norris sits at 10-under after a 6-under 63 put him two shots adrift of leader Stolz on 12-under, with a well-credentialled pack in a tie for third on 7-under.

Mat Goggin set to join Stolz and Norris in the final group after a Saturday 64 took him into the five-way tie at 7-under with Peter Lonard, overnight leader David Fearns, last week’s NSW Senior Open winner David McKenzie and 12-time winner in 2024 Chris Taylor.

Early in the day, it looked as if Stolz might run away as he seeks to win the title for a second time after triumphing in 2020 and prepares to head to the PGA TOUR Champions qualifying school next month.

Birdieing the first, Stolz made two more on the trot from the third, before another shot against par at the sixth as he prepared to make the turn.

Norris also 4-under for the day before the pair dropped shots at the tricky par-3 ninth as the win began to swirl and the greens firmed up in the afternoon sun of Sydney’s north west.

“Funny day,” was Stolz’s overall assessment.

“Trying to predict again, the wind was sort of up and down a little bit again today, so of course it blew hard on the tough holes.”

Norris managed to get his dropped shot back immediately at the next, but it was more trouble for Stolz when his tee shot clipped a branch that sent the ball left and into the penalty area at the par-4 10^th.

Nearly saving par with a great chip, Stolz got moving in the right direction again at the par-3 11^th when holing out from the greenside bunker.

The Queenslander birdieing the next before chipping in again for bridie at the next par-3, the 14^th, as Norris, who described his swing of late as “an octopus in a phone booth”, tried to keep pace with his fellow winner at Richmond.

Matching birdies came at the par-5 15^th for Norris and Stolz, with the latter benefitting from caddie, and head professional at Richmond, Nick Barnham’s local knowledge.

Preparing to hit a hybrid for his second, Stolz was talked into less club to find a gap right of the green that led to an up-and-down birdie as they headed for the new home three-hole stretch that Stolz played a role in laying out this year.

It was three straight pars for both to close, as they watched the third member of the group Adam Henwood, a close friend of Norris since junior golf, come to life and ensure he landed inside the cut line that fell at 5-over. PGA TOUR winner John Senden making the cut on the number and first off on Sunday alongside evergreen Peter Senior.

Stolz noting his improvement on the slower than expected putting surfaces as part of his run to a two shot lead with 18-holes to play.

“My speed was definitely better,” he said.

“I had a good talking to myself and I sort of did some extra putting, I thought the practise green today matched more the course, whereas yesterday morning maybe hadn’t quite got to roll it or anything yet.

“My speed felt definitely better today.”

Also trying to gauge the ball’s reaction on approach shots as the greens firmed up during the second round, Stolz knows that despite his lead, Norris and the group at 7-under, and even David Bransdon and Mike Harwood on 6-under, can make up ground early at Richmond.

Norris hoping to recreate his final round charge of 2023 on Sunday as he seeks to become the tournament’s first back-to-back winner since Orville Moody in 1986 and 1987.

“I’ll try and play aggressive, whereas I felt like I lost the aggressiveness today, I was a bit nervy with some shots,” Norris said.

“Last year I was so good in the last round where I just played aggressive the whole way, so I didn’t care about anyone else and that’ll be the goal again tomorrow.”

Stolz also only focused on tomorrow only, but still considering how victory might alter his lead up plans to his American sojourn with a new category for the winner earning them a spot at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in two weeks.

“Just see how it fits in with everything,” he said of the potential start.

“I played at RQ (Royal Queensland) there a few times. If we could play off the normal members tees, I’d be quite happy to go.”

Rounds two and three of the Nova Employment Australia PGA Senior Championship will be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports and Kayo.