15-year-old Amelia Harris shot a 1-under par 72 at Keysborough, and in dreadful, wet, and wintry morning conditions, it was enough to get her equal top on the leaderboard with Aina Fujimoto, the first-round leader.
The story of the week could be Harris, who will return to her home course, Yarra Yarra, for the final two rounds from Thursday with a monumental achievement in her sights.
Rounds of 70-72 have her at 4-under, tied with Fujimoto and a shot clear of South Australian Amelia Whinney and WA's Pantita Phobubpa at 3-under.
Harris would be one of the youngest-ever winners of the national championship, although Kiwi Lydia Ko’s landmark -- she won as a 14-year-old in 2011 at Woodlands – stands as the record.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” said the girl who will begin year 11 studies at Mackinnon Secondary College in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs in a couple of weeks. “One-under today in the conditions here was was pretty good. I was hoping for even or 1-under.
“I’m feeling pretty confident going back to my home course for the next two days. I think just playing how I’d usually playe there, hopefully a couple under.”
Harris is in the Golf Australia High Performance programs and has won numerous junior championships including the Victorian Amateur Open, but this is another stratosphere.
Yarra Yarra and Keysborough momentarily went underwater in the morning downpour and a two-hour-30-minute interruption followed.
Course staff worked feverishly and lift-clean-place rules came into place, but some players did not have tee times until 4.33pm, taking the second round past 8:30pm.