In an exciting turn of events at the Australian PGA Championship, Australian golfer Brett Rankin surged to the top of the leaderboard during the second round on Friday, November 28, 2025.
Rankin Climbs to the Top
After completing his first round earlier in the day, following a suspension of play on Thursday due to severe thunderstorms, Brett Rankin carded a solid two-under par 69. This impressive performance gave him a two-round total of nine-under par 133, securing him a one-stroke lead midway through the tournament at the prestigious Royal Queensland golf course.
Leaderboard Shake-Up
The day saw significant movement on the leaderboard. France's Tom Vaillant made a massive leap, firing a spectacular 64 to move into an early tie for second place. Meanwhile, Spain's Sebastian Garcia, who had held a one-shot lead over Rankin after the first round, slipped back with a 72, dropping him into a tie for fifth position.
Australian players are also in strong contention. Marc Leishman, who shot a 68, joined the group at seven-under par. He was accompanied by fellow Australian Cameron Davis, who posted a 67 to sit just two strokes behind the leader, Rankin.
"It's been a good solid couple of days," Davis was quoted 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."
Tournament Context and Big Names
The event, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australia and the European Tour, marks the beginning of the European Tour's 2025–26 season. This comes just two weeks after Rory McIlroy secured the Race to Dubai title.
All eyes are also on other high-profile players. Marco Penge, a three-time winner on the European tour this year and the tournament's highest-ranked player at World No. 30, opened with a 70 and had a later tee time on Friday. Australian stars Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee were also scheduled for afternoon starts.
The action continues to build towards next week's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, beginning December 4, where Rory McIlroy is set to headline the field.
