AUSTRALIAN Brett Rankin climbed from second to first on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, to take a one-stroke lead midway through the second round of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland, the Associated Press reported.
Rankin, who finished his first round earlier in the day after play was suspended Thursday due to thunderstorms, carded a two-under 69 on Friday for a two-round total of nine-under 133.
France’s Tom Vaillant fired a 64 to move into an early share of second place. Spain’s Sebastian Garcia, who held a one-shot lead over Rankin after the first round, slipped with a 72 and dropped into a tie for fifth.
Marc Leishman, who shot 68, joined the group at 7-under alongside fellow Australian Cameron Davis, who posted a 67 to sit two strokes behind Rankin.
“It’s been a good solid couple of days,” AP quoted Davis as saying. “I don’t think it’s a side of the draw that really looks like it was easier than the other. So we’ll see how that plays out with the course as it dries up a little bit today. It was really wet this morning.”
Marco Penge, a three-time winner on the European tour this year and the tournament’s highest-ranked player at No. 30, opened with a 70 and had a later tee time Friday. Australians Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee were also scheduled for afternoon starts.
The event is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australia and the European Tour, which begins its 2025–26 season just two weeks after Rory McIlroy secured the Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy will headline next week’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne beginning Dec. 4. / LBG