Ashley Hall opened up a three-shot lead on day two of the Australian PGA Championship as Ian Poulter made a surge through the field at RACV Royal Pines Resort.
Both men had to finish their opening rounds on Friday morning after storms had curtailed play on day one but neither showed any adverse effect as they began round two.
Hall had picked up four birdies after his 03.17 alarm call and continued in that vein, turning in 33 from the tenth to get to ten under and pull away from overnight leader and fellow Australian Andrew Dodt, who was not due out until 12.25.
There was then a two-shot gap back to a Poulter at five under, after he picked up five shots in his first 13 holes.
Late starters Ryan Fox and Julian Suri were also five shots off the lead, a shot ahead of Brad Kennedy, Harold Varner III, Oliver Farr and a group of six players due out in the second wave.
Hall made birdies on the 12th, 14th, 15th and last in his remaining seven holes while American Varner had a birdie-birdie finish in his first round to join Dodt at the top of the leaderboard.
Both men had a quick turnaround to get back out for round two and it was Varner who took the solo lead with a birdie on the 12th but back-to-back double-bogeys on the 15th and 16th sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.
PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Matthew Griffin had made three birdies upon the resumption to sit just a shot off the lead but he dropped a shot on the 12th and Dodt and Hall were two clear.
Hall lost out in a play-off at the Australian Open last time out and he was clearly riding that good form, making three birdies in a row from the 13th to become the first man into double figures and open up a three-shot lead.
England's Poulter - making his first European Tour appearance since the Masters Tournament - birdied the tenth and while he bogeyed the next, further gains followed on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 18th and third.
Welshman Farr had three birdies and two bogeys to turn in 35 from the tenth, while Griffin dropped further shots on the 17th and second and Kennedy had three birdies in his first 14 holes.
