The National Tournament Round 2

Josh Armstrong maintained his position at the summit of the leaderboard, carding a steady 2-under 70 to reach 6-under par at the halfway mark. Armstrong’s round was highlighted by his exceptional play on the par-3s; he was the only player in the field to birdie the difficult 187-metre 16th hole on Friday.

His two-shot cushion heading into the weekend has positioned him as the man to beat as he seeks to secure a life-changing victory in the season finale. The chasing pack is led by Victorian veteran Matthew Griffin, who matched Armstrong’s 70 to sit alone in second at 4-under par.

Matias Sanchez remains firmly in contention in third place at 3-under, while Nathan Barbieri and Daniel Gale share fourth at 2-under. The cut fell at a resilient 7-over par, a testament to the brutal conditions faced over the first 36 holes.

Notable moves came from Daniel Gale, whose 68 was among the best of the day, while several Order of Merit "bubble" players, including Todd Sinnott, successfully navigated the cut to keep their top-50 hopes alive.