Australian David Bransdon fired a brilliant 64 to take a two-shot lead on day two of the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
The field on Friday were looking not just to make the cut but to put themselves in a good position to make the top 24 after round three and progress to Sunday's exciting six-hole knockout stage.
Bransdon began the day three shots off the lead but made eight birdies in a bogey-free round that was just one off the course record to sit ahead of countryman Lucas Herbert and American Johannes Veerman.
The 43 year old was a European Tour regular in the 2006 and 2007 seasons but has played only 25 events since as he goes in search of just a third top ten in his 101st start.
The New South Welshman started from the tenth and birdied his opener and the 11th for the second consecutive day before adding further gains on the 13th, 15th and 18th from 15 feet.
That had him in a share of the lead with Herbert who made birdies on the third, seventh and eighth but another gain on the first after an approach to three feet saw him hit the front on his own.
His irons were dialled in and an eight foot right-to-lefter on the second made it a hat trick of birdies before he laid up on the third and put a wedge to three feet for four in a row.
At that point Bransdon held a commanding lead with Herbert bogeying the 14th but birdies on the 16th and 17th cut the gap, and Veerman soon got himself to nine under.
The 24 year old turned in level par 36 but added birdies on the 11th, 15th, 16th and last.
Co-overnight leader Brett Rumford was then at eight under after six holes with birdies on the first and sixth and a remarkable par on the fourth after playing the shot of the week so far from the trees but missing his birdie putt.
Another Australian, Adam Blyth, made three birdies in his first five holes to sit alongside local favourite Rumford.
Scot Duncan Stewart was then in the group at seven under after the second-lowest round of the week so far with a 65. A run of four birdies from the 14th saw him turn in 32 and he added further gains on the third and seventh before holing a lengthy putt on the ninth.
American Casey O'Toole followed up his opening 67 with four birdies and two bogeys in a 70, while Australia's Josh Younger overcame a double-bogey on the tenth in his 69.
Canada's Austin Connelly, Belgian Thomas Detry, New Zealander Michael Long, England's Jordan Smith and Japan's Hideto Tanihara were then all in the clubhouse at six under.
