Fox on the prowl at Open

Ryan Fox has shaken off his jetlag and is leading the Kiwi charge at the New Zealand Open in Arrowtown.

Fox, and fellow Kiwi Harry Bateman, are in a share of third at nine-under the card, six shots behind outright Australian leader Zach Murray in the tournament’s centenary year.

Bateman, who went into yesterday’s second round in a threeway share of the lead with rookie pro Murray and Japan’s Ryuko Tokimatsu, improved his score by a single stroke, but it was Fox who particularly impressed.

He shot a mostly smooth sixunder 66 as the afternoon breeze picked up at The Hills, a day after the visibly tired Aucklander carded a three-under 68 at Millbrook.

The 32-year-old, who only arrived in Arrowtown from competing at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Wednesday, knocked in eight birdies to grab a share of third place, six shots behind outright leader Murray.

It was a relief for the topranked (67th in the world) Kiwi, given he missed a decent birdie chance on his ‘‘nemesis hole’’ (16), and bogeyed 17 after hitting two bunkers.

‘‘It was just nice to bounce back after the mess that was 17, and to hit a couple of good shots down 18, and then hole a nice putt to finish,’’ Fox said.

Murray, a 21-year-old Victorian who turned professional only in November, is five shots clear of second-placed Ryuko Tokimatsu (Japan), followed by the Kiwi pair, former Australian winners Brad Kennedy and Dimitrios Papadatos, and Japan’s Kodai Ichihara,

‘‘You can dare to dream, but I suppose it doesn’t really help your cause too much. But I’m playing well,’’ Murray, who holed six birdies and an eagle.

While Fox and Bateman will shoulder New Zealand’s hopes, Kiwi Michael Campbell’s return to competitive golf beyond two rounds.

The 2005 US Open winner missed the cut (top-60 plus ties), after a carding a sluggish twoover par 73 at Millbrook.

On top of his even-par 72 at The Hills the previous day, it left him well below the cut line (threeunder par). He finished in a share of 114th.

‘‘My putting, my chipping, my pitching came back very quickly. My driving right now is pretty average,’’ Campbell said. won’t go Leading scores after two rounds of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown:

❚ Zach Murray (AUS)

❚ Ryuko Tokimatsu (JPN)

❚ Ryan Fox (NZ), Harry Bateman (NZ), Kodai Ichihara (JPN), Dimitrios Papadatos (AUS), Brad Kennedy (AUS).

❚ Yoshitaka Takeya (JPN)

15 under: 10 under:

9 under:

8 under:

PHOTOSPORT Ryan Fox, right, and caddie Steve Williams have spectacular Queenstown scenery as a backdrop during the second round of the New Zealand Open.