Superstar golfer Rory McIlroy has joined Adam Scott atop the Australian Open leaderboard after an action-packed start to the second round at Royal Sydney.
McIlroy has picked up seven shots through 16 holes to be 10-under for the tournament, while veteran left-hander Richard Green is just one off the pace after producing a spectacular hole-in-one.
Playing under threatening dark clouds, McIlroy was enjoying the best of the scoring conditions before rain and wind threatened to test Scott and the rest of the afternoon starters.
Starting on the back nine on Friday, the one-time world No.1 and dual major champion rattled off birdies at the 10th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes to turn in four-under after just one slip-up on the 17th.
McIlroy then tapped in for another birdie after almost driving the short par-4 first hole.
His eighth and ninth birdies of the day came on the second and sixth holes as he charged up the leaderboard.
Green was also on fire, notching six birdies and his eagle on the 143m par-3 sixth to close in on Scott.
Scott is due to tee off just after midday (AEDT) and there’s every chance by then he might have lost his lead, despite shooting a blistering course-record 10-under-par on Thursday.
Matt Jones, Max McCardle and Ryan Yip share fourth spot at seven-under.
Jason Day, playing alongside Scott, will be trying to make up eight shots on his World Cup-winning teammate after carding a first-round 70.
South Australian left-hander Nic Cullen, who fired a one-over 73 on Thursday, had to withdraw before the start of the second round after spending the night in hospital with appendicitis.