Zhang joins Popovic in PGA lead

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Joint leader ... Daniel Popovic continues his dream run at the Australian PGA. Source: Dave Hunt / AAP

Battler Daniel Popovic worked as a stop-go traffic man and pizza-maker in Melbourne to fund the dream he is living at the Australian PGA.

The Victorian produces a classy two-under 70 at Coolum to stay in the lead and fortify his confidence for the biggest weekend of his life.

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China's Zhang Xin Jun (67-67) joines him to share the lead at 10 under but 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy (67-69) is just two shots adrift beside young gun Matt Griffin (69-67), a tournament winner in South Korea three months ago.

Former British Open champion Darren Clarke (70-69) did a fine job of holding it together for a share of 10th after being ill on course.

Popovic led by five early in the day, playing beautifully for four birdies until a punched nine-iron over the 15th green led to a double-bogey seven.

"Being the hunted ... it feels fantastic and I hope it happens a lot more often," Popovic said.

He tossed and turned and barely slept after his 64 led the field on Thursday.

"My confidence over the putter is unbelievable and I hope I can play every single round for the rest of my life with that confidence," he said.

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Not so long ago, he was putting toppings on supreme pizzas at Pompeo's in Doncaster East in Melbourne.

"I was making pizzas for five years and I worked for months as a traffic controller with a stop-go sign to get the money to go to European Tour School in 2010," Popovic said.

Popovic's mum Mila cried when he rang her after his 64 and she was too nervous to watch her son on TV. His father Radi was in hospital getting blood tests for his bone cancer on Thursday and his anxiety about flying will stop him joining his son at Coolum.

Zhang, 25, missed a 2m par putt on the last when the outright lead was his for the taking after five birdies on the back nine had twice nudged his nose in front.

Greg Norman said on tournament eve that "China will take over the West in 20 years" in golf terms and Zhang is more living proof.

Zhang, from a village in western China, left school at 15 imagining that life as a security guard would provide a $95-a-month wage to help support his farmer parents.

His first assignment after training was at a golf course where he was gripped by the game, hit the driving range and was representing Team China within five years. 

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