FINGAL, Australia -- Ewan Porter fired a 1-under-par 71 on Saturday to move into sole possession of the lead with just 18 holes remaining at the Moonah Classic. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.
Porter, a 25-year-old native of Cronulla, Australia, entered the day with a share of the lead but moved out front on his own at 7-under 209 -- one shot clear of fellow Aussies Wayne Perske (72) and Terry Price (70).
"I hit the ball very solid all day," said Porter, who hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation. "I feel very comfortable with my golf swing. Every part of my game feels really solid right now."
The round almost never happened for Porter. He battled a stiff neck and shoulder throughout the round -- a result of pre-round workout -- but managed to make it through the day without any further damage.
"I was here about 7:00 this morning trying to loosen up," said Porter. "I don't usually do that. I usually would go mid-morning when my body wasn't so stiff. It was really bad. I was so close to withdrawing. I was devastated. My goal was just to tee it up. But it was probably a blessing in disguise because it took pressure off of me thinking what all was at stake."
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