A Tour-quality field will contend for the $60,000 in prize money on Friday with Wood’s 12-under total one clear of both Brett Rankin (66) and Kyle Michel (67).

Backing up from a 7-under 65 on day one, Wood was 9-under after just one hole on Thursday thanks to an eagle at the par-5 first.

A string of six pars was followed with a birdie on eight and bogey on nine, birdies at 12, 14 and 18 giving him a round of 5-under 67 and the narrowest of leads going into the final round.

“Obviously it’s nice to be on top,” said Wood, the 2020 Victorian PGA champion.

“To be honest, I haven’t been playing a lot of golf lately. I didn’t go out west and play, so I sort of just had a bit of time off, which I felt I needed after such a busy season last year.

“To be up the top of the leaderboard with not much competitive golf under my belt is nice.”

Rankin made his move up the leaderboard early in Round 2, picking up five birdies in the space of seven holes to turn in 5-under 31.

After a bogey on 11 he hit back with birdies at 13 and 14 to play his way into the final group with Wood.

Conceding he was not at his best, Wood said it was his patient approach that enabled him to keep his nose in front.

“I didn’t really feel like I had my A game today, but I just knew that there was plenty of birdies out there,” he added.

“I just tried to give myself as many chances as possible and managed to sneak in a few more coming home.

“Eagle on the first was nice and then to be honest, it was pretty boring after that.

“I had about probably six or seven pars in a row. Had a lot of opportunities, didn’t really convert and then made a birdie on eight, which was nice but then gave it back the very next hole.

“Then really just tried to stay patient out there.”

Round 2 leaderboard