Berliner Tageszeitung - Sleepy Cameron Smith right in the mix at Hong Kong Open

The 2022 British Open champion, the joint overnight leader in the $2 million Asian Tour International Series event, carded six birdies against two bogeys for four-under-par 66.

The Australian was alongside South Korea's Bae Sang-moon on 11-under overall at the halfway stage at a sweltering Fanling, a shot behind leader Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand.

The 30-year-old Smith, one of the biggest names to make the jump to the lucrative Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, was out for his second round starting at 6:45 am.

"The 3:30 alarm this morning was a little bit much," said Smith, who is chasing victory at Asia's oldest professional golf tournament for the first time.

"The body wasn't quite there this morning, it was probably still a little bit asleep.

"But I managed to do what I really needed to do and go into the weekend with a shot."

Asked by AFP if he planned to practise in the afternoon, Smith said he was instead going to have a nap.

Phachara goes into the weekend top of the leaderboard after shooting a seven-under-par 63 to go with his opening-round 65.

Lee Chieh-po was among a group of five players on 10-under overall, two shots off the lead, the Taiwanese claiming an ace on the way to a second-round 65.

Major winners Graeme McDowell and Patrick Reed both in the hunt, lurking ominously at eight-under and seven-under respectively.

Australia's Wade Ormsby, who won Asia's oldest professional golf tournament the last time it was staged, in 2020, missed the cut as his title defence fell flat.

D. Wassiljew--BTZ