Young guns to song

Curtis Luck rides in KL during the second round. Image: Getty

Curtis Luck only made his way to the field for the Valspar Championship in Florida as an alternative.

The Perth star has certainly cashed in its chance

Happiness, the 22-year-old Western Australian who made his early steps as a professional after an excellent amateur career, is tied sixth by two rounds, following a 68 today.

He was just a shot from the lead but a bogey from the greenside bunker at his last hole, the ninth on the course, pushed him down.

Yet he is only two shots from the lead of the Englishman Paul Casey and the American Austin Cook on six-substandard

Luck has missed six cuts in 10 starts on the US Tour this season, with only $ US83,000 in prize money to show.

But he is not the only young Australian who presents himself well on the international stage. Victorian Lucas Herbert has been silent since the rules violation and subsequent controversy in a tournament in Dubai earlier this year, but he roared in the fight in the European Tour's Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

Herbert shot a second round 69 to jump in a draw for fourth place on six-substandard, two shots behind the middle leader Thomas Pieters.

Veteran Marcus Fraser and Scott Hend also join in resistance in KL together with another young star, Zach Murray.