Rumford in a Share of the Lead in New Zealand

European Tour Member Brett Rumford of Australia moved into a share of the lead at the 2006 ING NZ PGA Championship in New Zealand after a flawless first 36 holes at Clearwater Golf Club in Christchurch, New Zealand. Rumford has yet to drop a shot after two rounds and shares the seven under par lead with his countryman Jarrod Lyle going into the weekend.

Rumford, the 2004 Nissan Irish Open champion had to finish his first round before beginning his second after bad light had brought the opening days play to an early finish, but he was unperturbed by his early rise and finished his first round in three under par 69.

He then went one better in round two, carding a four under 68 to join Mossely atop the leaderboard. Lyle put together a best of the day 66 to move from one under to seven under par.

Lyle, who spent nine months in hospital in 1999 fighting leukemia, was runner-up in the Australian and New Zealand amateur championships in 2004 before turning professional that same season.

In 2005 he finished third in the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne behind Nick O’Hern and eventual winner Craig Parry, and also finished 11th on the Australasian Tour Order of Merit.