Orlando, FL ….

Former champ Marc Leishman stood tall in the tougher conditions on day two of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in being only one of two players in the morning half of the field to break 70 at Bay Hill.

Australia’s second-highest world ranked golfer brilliantly birdied four of his opening seven holes in an eventual three-under par 69 to be just inside the top-10 and in the event the Victorian golfer claimed in 2017.

Leishman had been out after lunch on Thursday and despite relatively calm conditions over a handful of his opening holes, the wind picked-up appreciably for the current World No. 21 to post a respectable 71.

“I’m really happy. It was tough out there again. Got off to a really good start the first 8 holes and then kind of hung on after that,” said Leishman.

“It’s good. I’m really enjoying it. It’s nice playing when par’s a good score.

“Yesterday afternoon wasn’t easy. I thought I played really, really well for 1-under. And then to shoot in the 60s today
was, I was really happy with that. So good signs for the weekend.

“I am just hoping I can continue to play like I am, keep putting like I am. And the course is getting tough, so
that’s a plus as well. I love playing a tough golf coure.”

And while Leishman would dearly love to become just the first Australian to win the event for a second time since the inaugural tournament in 1966, the proud Aussie also has an extra responsibility this week in ‘hosting’ the touranment.

“It’s huge honour. To even be thought of for a role like that is pretty special. Then to get, for them to choose me to do that, it’s a massive honour,” he said.

“Of all the things you do, you think of, if you hadn’t had a great day, do you go sign or not go sign?

“He would have done it, so you do it. And that’s just, little things like that, that kind of, I guess, that’s why you pick certain role models and he was certainly one.”

Leishman’s victory three years ago was the second of now five PGA Tour wins for the 36-year old but then it was not only special winning the event named after ‘The King’ but it ended a near five-year PGA Tour victory drought following the Aussie winning a maiden PGA Tour title at the 2012 Travelers Championship.

“It was huge. I hadn’t won for a long time. I mean, such a big event too. It was definitely right up there. It was a big win and I would love to get another one,” he said.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton posted a second day 69 to head the field by a shot at 7-under par into the weekend rounds at Bay Hill.