Kiwi Hanee Song will seek counsel from close friend Momoka Kobori on how to go one better as she sits one shot off the lead after Round 2 of TPS Hunter Valley.

A hole-out 9-iron for eagle on the par-4 13th was the highlight of Song’s second consecutive round of three-under 67 for a six-under total at the halfway mark at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

She is tied with Gold Coast’s Jack Munro (70), veteran Peter Wilson (66) one stroke back of Brendan Smith (68) and one clear of Braden Becker (71) and Lincoln Tighe (69).

A regular on the Webex Players Series the past two years, Song skipped last year’s TPS Hunter Valley due to concerns over flooding that reduced the tournament to 54-holes.

She was an active watcher over the weekend however as fellow Kiwi Kobori went toe-to-toe in a three-hole playoff with eventual champion Aaron Pike.

Song and Kobori plan to travel together on the Ladies European Tour this year but the 27-year-old did not expect to receive any complicated instructions on how to come out on top over the weekend.

“I’ll probably be talking to her tonight,” Song said.

“To be honest she will probably just say to go out there and enjoy it.

“She doesn’t get into too much detail, just shoot and go. There won’t be too much to talk about.”

Song is seeking to become the third woman to win a Webex Players Series event this season as she undertakes phase two of her professional career.

After playing in the Women’s NSW Open in March 2020, she returned home to Auckland only to endure numerous Covid-19 lockdowns.

With so much uncertainty around global travel she returned to complete the second year of her education degree at the Auckland University of Technology in 2021 before being lured across to give golf one more shot.

“Coming over to Australia was quite scary because at that time to go back to New Zealand it was a lottery ticket to get a flight,” recalled Song, who has been struggling with illness in recent weeks.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to perform.

“I made all the cuts which is pretty good, finished ninth at Vic Open and that kept me going.

“I wrote an e-mail back to school saying, ‘I won’t be returning this year.’ And they were quite happy for me.”

Gympie’s Rhianna Lewis (67) used four birdies in the space of six holes on her back nine on Friday to move into a tie for 11th, level with outstanding NSW amateur Belinda Ji (67).

Despite a disappointing two-over 72 Stephanie Bunque comfortably finished inside the cut-line of two-over, as did Korean Nayeon Eum (68), New Zealand’s Siyi Keh (69), Kelsey Bennett (71), Yuna Takagi (68) and Annika Rathbone (71).