A brilliant second-round 66 vaulted Sydney’s Cameron Davis into contention at the US PGA Tour’s 3M Open outside Minneapolis today.

Davis, the 2017 Australian Open champion, continues to shine in his second full season on the biggest tour in the world at just 25 years of age.

He shot five-under par today, one of the day’s best rounds, to jump into a tie for sixth at nine-under par overall, three shots from the lead held by Michael Thompson and Richy Werenski of the US.

Davis caught fire on the back nine, rolling in long birdie putts on the 14th and 15th holes and also making a birdie at the par-five 18th, where he was a little unlucky not to pick up another shot. The man from Monash Country Club in Sydney hit a pure long iron second shot to the green but it trickled into the long rough just off the back fringe, leaving him a tricky chip for eagle from just six metres.

He had to be content with a tap-in birdie and a 66 to go with his opening 67.

Davis has had two top-10 finishes on tour this year and earned more than $US500,000. But he missed four consecutive cuts on the tour’s return from the enforced break because of Covid-19, so his return to form is welcome.

He was the 2015 Australian amateur champion and a crucial member of Australia’s 2016 Eishenhower Trophy-winning team in Mexico. Davis also won an Australian Open at 22, demolishing the field at The Australian in 2017 with a closing 64.

Victorian Aaron Baddeley, who was the top Australian on day one, fell away on the second day with a two-over par 73.

Meanwhile on the Korn Ferry Tour, Jamie Arnold is tied-eighth in the Price Cutter Championship after rounds of 66-68.

3M Open leaderboard