Andrew Dodt moves two shots clear at Australian PGA Championship

Andrew Dodt fired a round-of-the-day 67 to open up a two-stroke advantage at the halfway stage of the Australian PGA Championship.

The Australian mixed six birdies with a sole blemish at the Royal Pines course to move two ahead of compatriot Ashley Hall, with top seed Adam Scott heading into the weekend tied-third after back-to-back 68s.

Dodt held a one-shot lead after a weather-affected opening day, which saw more than half of the field having to come back at 5.30am on Friday to finish their first rounds, and posted an early gain at the par-five third.

Successive birdies from the eighth saw Dodt post a front-nine 33, as Harold Varner III briefly claimed a share of the lead thanks to four gains around the turn.

The American lost ground with consecutive double bogeys from the 15th, allowing Dodt to burst three ahead thanks to gains at the 14th, 15th and 17th.

Dodt's only dropped shot of the day came at the last, where he found the green in regulation but three-putted for a bogey-five.

Australian PGA Championship Golf

Last year's runner-up Hall bounced back from a triple-bogey at the fourth to post six birdies and get to 10 under for the tournament, with New Zealand's Ryan Fox carding a matching 69 to join Scott four shots off the lead.

Ian Poulter, making his first European Tour appearance since April, made a late move up the leaderboard by birdieing four of his final seven holes to close a four-under 68.

"I've been playing really nicely," Poulter said. "Very comfortable off the tee, very comfortable from the fairway, hitting a lot of decent shots and getting a lot of looks and that's what I need to convert.

"Then I will find myself in position and getting back to the good old days."

Australian PGA Championship Golf

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