Harrison Endycott (Golf Australia photo)

The golf-rich country typically sends a contingency of their top players to enjoy the competitive game (and our summer weather) and two of those players are right at the top of the leaderboard after 18 holes.

Defending champion Harrison Endycott sent a message early that he doesn't intend to relinquish the prestigious trophy by running off three-straight birdies early on Nos. 3-5 against a single bogey on the front nine for a 2-under 33. He started the back nine with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11. Endycott made his second bogey of the day on the 406- yard par 4 14th, but bounced back with a birdie at the short par 4 15th.

Endycott's 2016 Porter Cup victory was preceded by an amazing winter (their summer) in Australia, where he went on a tear with consecutive wins at the Lake Macquarie Amateur, the Avondale Medal, the Riversdale Cup, and South Australian Amateur Classic.

We're guessing he feels right at home at Niagara Falls CC, and that he's going to be tough to beat this week.

But his fellow countryman Travis Smyth and Christopher Petefish might have something to say about that.

Smyth was runner-up at this year's Australian Amateur, and last year he placed 11th here at Niagara Falls CC. So he knows his way around the A.W. Tillinghast design. Today, he went bogey free in his round of 66 at the par-70 layout. It's short for the youth of today, who take aggressive lines around the many doglegs, and reach most of the par-5s in two.

Petefish, like Smyth, was bogey free. The incoming Georgia Tech senior from Danville, California won the Azalea Invitational at Charleston CC in March, and more recently picked up a T2 finish at the Monroe Invitational -- less than two hours away in Rochester -- in May. So we like his chances this week as well.

Two local favorites that are in the field are Derek Bard (New Hartford, NY). The 2017 Monroe Invitational champion, fired 70 today. Gavin Hall of Pittsford, NY shot 69. Both are well within striking distance as there are 54 holes left to play.

Being right across the border from Canada, the tournament field typically includes a number of top Canadian amateur golfers (and past champions like Taylor Pendrith). Today the lowest among them was Luke Moser of Waterloo, Ontario. He fired 70 and is in a logjam at T11 that includes recent Florida Amateur winner Cristian Dimarco.