Australian golfer Brad Kennedy has hit the front at the halfway mark of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown, with a stellar second round at Millbrook Resort.
Kennedy, the 2011 champion, backed up his opening round 65 at The Hills by firing a nine-under 62, finishing with a flurry of six birdies in his closing seven holes on Friday.
His only blemish came with a bogey at the par-five sixth as he charged past overnight leader Ben Campbell to grab a one-shot lead.
"It was awesome, it's nice to play like that. I had a good rhythm going into the back nine, coming through 15 to 18, I had some nice full numbers," Kennedy said.
"The greens are just pure here so they are great to putt on."
Kennedy plans to keep an attacking mentality going into the final two rounds, which will be held at the more challenging Millbrook course.
"It doesn't matter where I am, I just have to stay aggressive," 42-year-old Kennedy said.
"Anytime you try and be conservative, a course like this will come and get you.
"I think it will be a different story on the weekend.
"Hopefully the wind gets up, I like playing in the wind, it would make it a bit more difficult and pin positions will be tough."
Campbell, who finished second in last week's NZ PGA Championship in Palmerston North, mixed seven birdies with two bogeys at The Hills for a five-under 67 in his second round.
On Thursday, the 25-year-old Masterton-born golfer had bagged an eagle and two birdies in the final three holes at Millbrook to secure a course record 10-under-par 61.
He sits second a shot ahead of compatriot Michael Hendry, who fired back-to-back rounds of 65.
Australian duo Dimitrios Papadatos and Deyen Lawson are tied fourth with Korean Sung-Jae Im at 12-under with NSW's James Nitties a shot further back.
Victoria's defending champion Matthew Griffin sits six strokes off the pace at 10-under along with countryman Callan O'Reilly and Kiwi Brad Shilton.
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