David Lingmerth holds slender lead in Australian PGA Championship

David Lingmerth holds a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Australian PGA Championship in Queensland.

The Swede, who plays most of his golf on America's PGA Tour, carded a second round four-under-par 68 at the challenging Royal Pines Resort on the Golf Coast.

Lingmerth's round mixed six birdies with a brace of bogeys, as he moved 14 places up the leaderboard following his opening 73.

Leader Lingmerth, the world No 57, said: "I know that I've won on the PGA Tour, probably the strongest tour in the world and I know I can do it.

"Of course that gives me some confidence going into the weekend but, at the same time, these are all players that can shoot seven, eight under, both rounds out there over the weekend.

"I'm going to have to play very well to win but I do feel like I should have a good shot."

Six players stand one stroke off the pace, including England's Mark Foster whose one-over 73 featured a double-bogey five at the short second hole.

Two other European Tour members, Spaniard Pablo Martin Benavides and American Peter Uihlein, are also one shot adrift following 67s.

Martin Benavides, a three-time Tour winner who lost his card in 2012, appears to be returning to top form.

The Spaniard, 29, said: "I'm so happy. This game is so much fun when it goes the right way so I am really pleased. 

"I played a really good round and am happy with the score but it was kind of tricky to make the putts.  

"The greens are very slick with the Bermuda.  You can tell they're still a little bit young but it's all good. By far I'm playing the best golf in all my life, much better than I ever have as a professional."

Meanwhile, the biggest mover on Friday was Australian Rhein Gibson whose 64 was three shots better than any other round completed over the opening 36 holes of the tournament.

Gibson, who was tied for 112th after 18 holes, is now just two shots adrift after playing the back nine at Royal Pines in just 29 strokes.

He even recovered from a difficult start on day two when he made back-to-back bogeys at the first and second holes and, at this stage, had stood at nine over par for the tournament.

However, thanks in some part to a brace of eagles, he covered the last 10 holes in nine under par and is now in a tie for eighth.

Gibson stressed: "I chipped in for eagle on nine, which was the turning point. It kind of gave me a sniff of making the cut, because that was really my main goal after playing so poorly on Thursday."

New professional Paul Dunne is six shots behind following rounds of 72 and 75.

But spare a thought for American Brandt Snedeker, who was the biggest name teeing-up this week and, at No 38, the highest ranked golfer in the field.

Snedeker, one of only three players in the world's top 100 in this event, posted rounds of 84 and 75. Over 36 holes he made just a single birdie and missed the cut by a massive nine shots.

And Snedeker promised to come back to Australia and play better: "I definitely feel embarrassed about my play the last two days.

"I'm going to need to come back down here and redeem myself. I feel like they deserved better and my game was not up to it obviously."

Defending champion Greg Chalmers also missed the cut following rounds of 76 and 75.