Australia's Harrison Gomez says he's in with a sniff after weathering wicked winds which battered golfers at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
Gomez, at even par, is seven shots shy of the leader and the best-placed Australian after a brutal second round at Te Arai Links, 100km north of Auckland in New Zealand.
The 18-year-old Queenslander shot a fine two-under 69 on Friday, when only five golfers broke par.
Gomez believes should 50kmh winds which buffeted the field continue, anything is possible at a tournament offering a spot in next year's US Masters and British Open to the winner.
"Definitely anyone within seven shots of a championship leader ... has a really good shot," Gomez said.
"But it doesn't change my mindset at all, I have just got to stick to my game plan."
Another Australian, Jonty Lunson, shares that sentiment as he enters the weekend at one over.
"Once the wind picked up, it got very tough," 19-year-old Lunson said after carding a one-under 70 on Friday.
"So breaking par, definitely very happy."
Hailing from Tasmania, Lunson was pragmatic about the winds which took a heavy toll.
"I have played in a lot worse. It's still manageable," he said.
Thailand's defending champion Fifa Laopakdee still holds the lead after following his eight-under 63 on Thursday with a one-over 72.
Lunson agreed Laopakdee, who holds a two-shot cushion from second-placed New Zealander Cooper Moore, can be caught.
"It's definitely doable," said Lunson, who started his round on the 10th hole.
"I was three under through nine (holes), made the turn and bogeyed (holes) one and two pretty bad.
"I then hit (approach shots to) between 10 and 20 feet on all seven holes and didn't make a single putt, a lot of them were close.
"Just do the same thing, get rid of those two bad bogeys in the middle, and hopefully hole a few putts.
"It could have been a lot worse - and there is a lot worse."
In that category fell Laos' Anon Phachanthavong whose second-round 102 included a 15 on the 108 metre par-3 17th. His tournament finished at 53 over.
Australia's top-ranked amateur Harry Takis, also the top-ranked golfer in the field, is three over after a four-over 75 on Friday.
Compatriot Kayan Madaduna is two over after also shooting 75 on Friday, with fellow Australians Wesley Hinton nine over and Sam Cascio 10 over for the tournament.
The cut was 14 over, with Australian pair Graham Hourn (16 over) and Rick Heath (19 over) outside that marker.
This article was made possible with support from the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
