It was perhaps best described as a so so day for Peter in round three of the J.B. Were Masters but after what had been a slow start he produced a back nine of 33 for a round of 69 and at 7 under he shares 5th position heading into tomorrow's final round.

Peter missed a six foot birdie putt at the opening hole and dropped a shot at the 5th to be out in 37 but his solid comeback has given him a chance at least of a very high finish. 

Birdies at the 10th and 11th holes got the round moving forward and the almost obligatory birdie at the final hole completed the solid comeback.

Peter starts tomorrows final round 6 shots behind the leader Geoff Ogilvy but with only four players ahead of him the opportunity exists for an encouraging and possibly rewarding final day.  

photo: Peter tees off at the 3rd hole today 

Peter may well have dropped shots late in his second round of the J.B. Were Masters at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne but he remains well in the hunt as the tournament heads into the weekend.

Peter added a second round of 70 to his opening 67 and at 5 under he is four shots off the 36 hole lead of Ian Poulter and just two out of second position.

At one stage of his round Peter was sharing the lead with early second day leader, Matthew Giles and the eventual second round leader, Ian Poulter, but three dropped shots late in his round cost him that lead and potentially even more before he rallied with a birdie at the last.

Peter bogeyed early when he found the trap at the 11th, his second hole of the day, and was unable get up and down. He immediately birdied the next and by the turn had produced three further birdies to move to 7 under and at that point he shared the lead.

He maintained that position until he bogeyed his 15th, 16th and 17th holes before a birdie at the par five 9th (his final hole of round two) restored some of the momentum he had built. 

Peter plays with New Zealander Doug Holloway at 12.40 tomorrow 

photo; Peter hits his approach to the 12th hole to set up his first birdie of the day

Peter plays the JB Were Masters at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne's  Sandbelt this week, his first Australian event since the PGA in December of 2010.

Peter last played the Victoria Golf Club when the Australian Open was last played at the venue in 2002 but he continues to be impressed by the layout. 

"It has changed a little since I was last here, there has been quite a bit of clearing in certain areas but it is still a very good golf course," said Peter after today's Pro-Am.  

Peter is a two time winner of the Australian Masters, both of those coming at the Huntingdale Golf Club and while his game has been hard to predict this season he is happy enough with the way he is playing.

Peter has an early tee time tomorrow when he will play with Steve Bowditch and Andrew Buckle.

Peter has finished with an opening round of 67 at the J.B. Were Australian Masters, a strong finish over the closing holes at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne moving him into a share of 3rd position at the end of the morning's play on day one.

Peter recorded the almost compulsory birdie at the opening hole but then immediately gave it back at the second. A birdie at the 4th saw him turn in one under 34 but three consecutive birdies through the 14th, 15th and 16th holes moved him towards the top of the leaderboard.

The first of those came at the par three 14th where knocked his tee shot to three feet. At the short par four 15th he hit a poor pitch but then holed from 25 feet and at the 16th hit a good tee shot to 18 feet and holed that to move to 4 under.

Standing on the 18th tee he needed one more birdie to move to the top of the leaderboard but a poor drive prevented him from reaching the green at the short par five and par was the best he could do.

It was a solid start all the same.

Peter will play in the afternoon group tomorrow.

Photo; Peter surveys his second from the right hand rough on the 18th