Australian Marc Leishman made a spectacular move up the leaderboard in the second round of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland on Friday.
Leishman provisionally catapulted into outright second place after draining an incredible eagle chip-in directly from a greenside bunker.
The dramatic shot not only thrilled the crowd but also solidified his position among the top contenders heading into the weekend, giving the 42-year-old momentum as he chases the title on home soil.
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Marc Leishman sinks an incredible eagle chip-in from the bunker. Nine
The Australian class strengthened on Friday morning as Leishman and Cam Davis delivered solid performances.
Both players headed to the clubhouse locked at seven-under par, putting them just three shots adrift of the current provisional leader, Kazuma Kobori — whose eight-under 64 is the low round of the day so far.
Leishman delivered one of the day’s biggest highlights during his second-round 68.
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He sank a sensational eagle, holing out directly from a challenging greenside bunker on the par-5 seventh hole. The jaw-dropping shot proved essential in securing his strong three-under round and keeping him squarely in the mix.
But while Leishman demonstrated undeniable vigour — racking up five impressive birdies during his round — his momentum was frequently curtailed by inconsistency.
Australia’s Marc Leishman tees off. Chris Hyde via Getty Images
The veteran’s chances of posting a truly low number were ultimately slowed by the inclusion of four bogeys on his scorecard, showcasing a mix of brilliance and challenge throughout his play.
Acknowledging the mistakes, Leishman admitted that such blunders could severely impact his ability to mount a strong weekend charge for his maiden Australian PGA title.
However, he stressed that he is strongly motivated to finally secure a major domestic championship after several close calls.
“I’m very competitive. Yes, I’m easy going, but get in the heat of the battle, and I fight hard,” he said.
“So, definitely being close here, the last few years finished in third here, the Aussie PGA, the last two years and third of the Australian Open last year.
“Having opportunities and not getting over the line has been, I guess, a little frustrating and a bit disappointing, but from every time you don’t win, you learn something.
“So, hopefully, I’ve learned enough out of those tournaments, and tournaments that I haven’t won around the world and have won for that.
“Yeah, the will’s there to really want to win one of these things.”
Trailing the leader by a single shot are local Brett Rankin, fellow Aussie Anthony Quayle and China’s Ding Wenyi.
Then, two shots behind, the leaderboard is packed, featuring NSW Open champion Christopher Wood, Australian Min Woo Lee, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia, and Frenchman Tom Vaillant.
Australian Cameron Smith’s difficult year continued as the major winner missed the cut by four shots, finishing two-over par after rounds of 69 and 75.
The three-time champion suffered a back-nine meltdown, recording three bogeys and a double bogey.
This missed cut marks a trend this year, as Smith has now failed to make the weekend in his last seven 72-hole tournaments, including all four major championships.
A couple of major international names also unexpectedly misfired and missed the cut after the second round.
Joaquin Niemann plays his second shot on the third hole during day one of the Australian PGA Championship. Chris Hyde via Getty Images
The biggest surprise came from Joaquin Niemann, a five-time winner on the LIV Golf circuit this year, who struggled to make an impact.
Niemann shot back-to-back rounds of even-par 71, failing to gain any traction against the field.
He was not the only highly-regarded international player to falter.
Rasmus Neergard-Petersen also had a disappointing tournament, finishing well outside the cut line at five-over after rounds of 74 and 73.