Australian PGA Championship pacesetter: Wade Ormsby. Photo: Getty Images

Adam Scott's plan to leap into 2015 on the back of a morale-boosting tournament victory remains on track as the defending champion ominously stalks the leaderboard at the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast.

The 34-year-old has plenty on his mind – he will become a first-time father in February – but managed to find more than enough focus to put himself in the box seat going into the weekend at Royal Pines, where he trails close friend and former junior foe Wade Ormsby by two shots.

Any parent would be able to tell Scott that once a baby arrives in the house, even the best-laid plans get tossed out the window. From February onwards, when his wife Marie Kojzar is due to give birth, a touch of glorious chaos will infiltrate the Scott residence, which is blissfully free of crayoned walls and crates of nappies.

In the hunt: Australia's Adam Scott. Photo: Getty Images

On the course, everything went to script and Scott never looked flustered as he added a 69 to his opening round of 68, finishing the day at seven under, with Ormsby's 67 putting him on top at nine under going into Saturday.

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The course was soaked by rain overnight, but the predicted deluge and storms failed to materialise, helping organisers get the event back on track thanks to a punishing 5.30am start for the morning groups.

Not everyone coped with the slower surfaces. Overnight leader Boo Weekley began the day at six under and battled his way around with a 72 to remain in contention at six under. Korean Jin Jeong tore it up early, getting to minus eight at one stage before finishing with a 74 and ending up in the clubhouse at five under.

It was the 34-year-old Ormsby, a South Australian who plays most of his golf on the European Tour, who finally took the tournament by the scruff of the neck after a series of minor moves on what remains a wide-open leaderboard. Ormsby started with a bogey on the 10th before catching fire down the back. He eagled the par-five 10th, made par on 11, then rattled off four straight birdies to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

He led by three shots at one stage but came back to the pack a touch, with Scott breathing down his neck for the entire round. The defending champion had just the one blemish on the 13th and then some late confusion about his score, with conflicting reports that he had shot a 68 instead of a 69.

The error was rectified at the close of play and attributed to an error from the walking scorer. But the Masters champion will go into the weekend as a heavy favourite no matter the details.

"Yeah, it was really solid golf from tee to green today," Scott said. "Just a bit frustrated not to take advantage of a few more of the holes, especially a couple of the par fives, but you know, it is still tricky out there. Just because it's a bit softer and the greens are slow doesn't make it that much easier."

Scott Strange was outright second at eight under late in the day with two holes to play and looked in great touch, adding to his opening round of 69. Australian Masters champion Nick Cullen was among a host of players at five under, a group that also included David Smail and Jason Scrivener.

There were some odd sights throughout the afternoon, none stranger than when a crow descended onto the course and stole the ball of Sam Eaves.