![IN FRONT: Nikki Prato leads the women's event by two shots with 18 holes to play at Buininyong on Monday. Picture: Lachlan Bence IN FRONT: Nikki Prato leads the women's event by two shots with 18 holes to play at Buininyong on Monday. Picture: Lachlan Bence](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/mTvP5NhWJFQFv7uTytgxtB/d5928824-62a9-4fb3-a425-bbe908dd37fe.jpg/r0_196_3831_2350_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Kelly Lyle and Nikki Prato lead the Ballarat District Golf 54-hole open tournament going into the last round at Buninyong on Monday.
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Lye heads the A grade men’s scratch event by three shots.
However, he has 16-time champion Craig Boucher breathing down his neck.
Lyle shot an opening round of 72 at Midlands on Saturday and then carded 76 at Creswick’s RACV Goldfields Resort on Sunday for a 36-hole total of 148.
Boucher followed a 75 with 76.
Mitch Taylor started the event strongly to be tied with Lyle at Midlands, but struggled with an 82 on Sunday.
Lyle will tee off on Monday at 8.52am, while Boucher will know what he needs to shoot being in the last group of the day at 12.20pm.
Prato has a two-shot lead in the A grade women.
She is on 170 with first round leader and 10-time champion Helen Pascoe on 172.
Pascoe started with 80 at Midlands, but lost her way with 92 at Creswick.
A field of 77 played on Saturday, but this was disappointingly reduced to 73 on Sunday.
Leading standings after two rounds:
![CONTENDER: A relaxed Craig Boucher at Midlands. Picture: Lachlan Bence CONTENDER: A relaxed Craig Boucher at Midlands. Picture: Lachlan Bence](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/mTvP5NhWJFQFv7uTytgxtB/2cea4988-1439-46e2-b8c2-ab47ad905c19.jpg/r0_0_2563_4528_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A GRADE MEN
Kelly Lyle 72-76-148
Craig Boucher 75-76-151
Nick Haintz 75-78-153
Mitch Taylor 72-82-154
A GRADE WOMEN
Nikki Prato 84-86-170
Helen Pascoe 80-92-172
Bev Smith 85-89-174
B GRADE MEN (Stableford points)
Dean Jennings 38-35-73
Brett Dyson 41-29-70
Darren Hitchock 41-25-66
Brendan Stevens 32-29-61
Daniel Tung 35-26-61
![SAND TRAP: Ross Titheridge blasts his way out of a bunker at Midlands. Picture: Lachlan Bence SAND TRAP: Ross Titheridge blasts his way out of a bunker at Midlands. Picture: Lachlan Bence](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/mTvP5NhWJFQFv7uTytgxtB/212540c6-8f5a-40de-9846-227b7aeb841f.jpg/r0_220_4122_2950_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)