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A seven-under par 65 from Cameron Smith has moved the defending Australian PGA Championship to the pointy end of the field on the Gold Coast.
A Cameron Smith masterclass has set up a dream Saturday pairing with Marc Leishman and brought his Australian PGA Championship defence to life on the Gold Coast.
Smith systematically worked over Royal Pines in carding a seven-under 65 on Friday, moving him to nine-under for the tournament and one ahead of Leishman and Jake McLeod.
Victorian Leishman replicated his Thursday 68, while Dimi Papadatos (seven-under) had briefly held the lead and will wage war with Saturday playing partner McLeod for the Order of Merit spoils.
Like fellow overnight leader McLeod, West Australian Matt Jager didn't fade and only a bogey on the last - after a birdie on the party hole 16th - separated him from the Townsville product.
Smith took Friday's honours though, mixing seven birdies with a bogey through his first 10 holes to wipe aside a frustrating first-day 70.
While cursing himself for not getting to 10-under, Smith's no-fuss showing has set up a showdown with a fellow Queenslander he knows well from their days on the junior representative scene.
"Jakey and I, we've been in state teams together, fiddled around at home, QAS trainings, everything," he said of the talent one year his junior.
"Jakey's a good boy, love playing with Jake.
"There's so many guys that I grew up playing with who were all really good and it's good to see a few of them doing well."
Healthy crowds followed Smith and his playing partner Andrew 'Beef' Johnston and were rewarded when the Englishman chipped in for a memorable birdie on the rowdy 16th party hole.
Johnston saluted the bar and threw his ball into the crowd as his moved to five-under and into the conversation despite dropping to three-over after three holes and contemplating early retirement on Thursday.
World No.21 Leishman was ominously rock solid again, avoiding disaster with a nice save over trees while balancing on the lakeside edge on the 12th.
Overnight leader McLeod, who started the day six-under, birdied his first hole then exploded on the back nine with back-to-back birdies and a monster eagle putt to give him clean air at 11-under.
The NSW Open winner, Order of Merit leader and Australian Open third place-getter followed with a bogey and then dropped two more shots when he narrowly went out of bounds on the 17th.
Champion in 2016, Harold Varner III (seven-under) was the big early mover on Friday morning with three straight birdies.
Play begins at 6.30am on Saturday, with Smith and Leishman to tee off in the last group at midday.
