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Nick Flanagan held it together in increasingly tricky conditions on Friday to claim a share of the halfway lead with fellow Australian Jason Scrivener at the Vic Open.

Flanagan had bolted out of the blocks with a spectacular opening round of 10-under 62 at 13th Beach on Thursday.

But the 2003 US Amateur champ was even more satisfied with his four-under 68 on Friday afternoon as the wind picked up late in the day, with conditions predicted to get tougher again over the weekend.

"Yesterday was a bit of a surprise but at the same time I played well and got everything out of my game," said Flanagan.

"I was probably happier with today's round, considering it was backing up that 62.

"It could have been anything today; it probably could have been a couple better but I've had my fair share of long putts and good breaks the first two days so to be up there at the top of the leaderboard is obviously great.

"We'll go out there on the weekend and keep doing what I'm doing."

A victory at the Vic Open and the accompanying two-year exemption on the European tour would be a career changer for the 34-year-old Flanagan, who does not currently hold playing status on any overseas tours.

The situation is much different for Scrivener, who is in career-best form.

The West Australian has recorded three top-10 finishes in his past four European Tour events - including a tie for seventh at the Dubai Desert Classic in late January.

He made the best of calm morning conditions on Friday with a bogey-free 66.

"Any time your game is in a good place and you're constantly making cuts and putting yourself in contention it's good for the confidence," he said.

"I just think that over the last 12 months I've made some big improvements on my game and just steadily progressed over the last couple of years.

"I feel like it's in a good position and I just want to give myself more chances to win tournaments."

Local players filled the top five spots on the leaderboard after the opening two rounds, with Wade Ormsby in outright third at 13-under 131, one shot clear of Matt Jager and Brad Kennedy.

But defending champion Simon Hawkes and the man he beat in a playoff to win last year's title, Harrison Endycott, both missed the halfway cut, as did 2017 Vic Open winner Dimi Papadatos.

Rejuvenated after a two-month break, Australian Su Oh is perfectly placed at the halfway stage to challenge for the women's Vic Open title.

Oh shot a second-round four-under 68 on Friday to be in outright third place at 10-under, three shots behind leader Kim Kaufman from the United states.

Oh, 22, has regularly played well in the six previous years the Vic Open has been contested at the 13th Beach layout, most notably when she tied for third two years ago.

This could be the year she takes the crucial final step.

"I feel like I played really well," said Oh, who returned to to the fray after a two-month playing sabbatical this week.

"I definitely didn't hit the ball as well as I can but my par-fives have been good and my short game has been pretty good.

"Hopefully I keep that up and on the weekend hit the ball a little bit better.

"It's a little bit tough with the wind and trying to beat it doesn't really help.

"Hopefully I can play along with it tomorrow and Sunday."

The only other Australian in the top eight of the co-sanctioned LPGA Tour event is seven-time major winner Karrie Webb, who wound back the clock to sign for a bogey-free 65 and move into a tie for fifth at seven-under.

Defending champion and world No.7 Minjee Lee just survived the halfway cut despite bogeying her final hole on Friday to slip back to level-par.

The pacesetter is LPGA Tour regular Kaufman, now recovered from a bout of glandular fever which hindered her throughout 2018.

Kaufman leads at 13-under, two shots clear of Japan's Haru Nomura.

"The last time I was in the final group on a Sunday was at the 2017 Tour Championship," said the American.

"It's just nice to be back.

"It was a long year last year, but you just have to keep working hard and believing in yourself."

Having heard such positive feedback about the Vic Open, where the men and women play concurrently on the same courses for equal prize money, Kaufman was determined to include the tournament on her schedule in 2019 even before it was added to the LPGA roster.

"I told them last year it's such a great thing they're doing," she said.

"We all want more prize money and equal prize money.

"Maybe it's not $10 million but it's someone who's starting to do this and I think it's awesome."

Overnight leader Felicity Johnson from England was unable to repeat her day-one heroics on Friday morning, carding a two-over round to drop back to six-under.

Among the big-name players to miss the cut were Australian Hannah Green and Swede Pernilla Lindberg, who won her first major title at the ANA Inspiration last year.

Jason Day hopes work-life balance can help him go on to finally win the Pebble Beach Pro Am after shooting himself into contention on day one in California.

A visibly relaxed Day fired a six-under-par 65 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club to sit just one shot off a two-way tie for the first-round lead held by Americans Scott Langley and Brian Gay, who each shot 64 also at Monterey.

Teeing off the 10th hole, Day carded two early birdies before a bogey at the par-4 15th.

However the 13-time US PGA Tour winner responded with three straight birdies before the turn and added two more on his back nine.

With Day and wife Ellie welcoming their third child, son Arrow, in November and Day enjoying a run without injuries that have recently plagued him, the Queenslander says he has never felt clearer.

He says it's playing a large part in his solid start to 2019, which also kicked off with a top-five finish at Torrey Pines last month.

Now, the 31-year-old has given himself a hot start to the Pebble Beach Pro Am - where he has recorded five top-six results, including a runner-up last year, without lifting the trophy.

"I've just got a clearer head," the former world No.1 said.

"When you don't have any distractions and you have a clearer mind, you can focus on playing. Things start to align and become more balanced and that definitely yields good (golf).

"I'm very close to getting back to where I need to be."

Day shares third at six under alongside five others including five-time major winner Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson is regarded as having arguably the greatest short game in golfing history but has perennially struggled with the driver.

However the 48-year-old left-hander hit all 13 fairways at Monterey - a milestone he says is a career-first.

"So history was made today; to the best of my knowledge it's taken me 27 years and a few months to hit all fairways in a single round in a competition," Mickelson said.

Meanwhile, Aaron Baddeley was next best of the Australians with a three-under-par 69 at the difficult Spyglass Hill leaving him just four shots off the pace.

Baddeley's countrymen Adam Scott, Curtis Luck and Matt Jones sit one under after day one, while fellow Australians John Senden, Rod Pampling, Cameron Davis and Ryan Ruffels had even-par rounds.

Severe rain is forecast for California's Monterey Peninsula during the next three days and PGA Tour officials are bracing for a Monday finish.

James Nitties equalled 1989 British Open champ Mark Calcavecchia's world record for successive birdies on a day of red-hot scoring at the men's Vic Open on Thursday.

Not to be upstaged, his housemate Nick Flanagan shot a career-best round of 10-under to lead by two shots after the opening round at 13th Beach.

Nitties didn't know whether to put their dual successes down to a pre-tournament meal of burritos cooked by Flanagan, although there's every chance they would on the menu again on Thursday night.

Nitties was kicking himself after making a double bogey from the middle of the fairway on his fifth hole.

A couple of hours later he was in golfing heaven having reeled off nine straight birdies, equalling the mark first set by Calcavecchia at the 2009 Canadian Open.

"I don't hold any other world records that I know of, so to be a part of one is pretty cool," joked the 36-year-old.

"I had a good chance for that 10th birdie but I didn't want to break it.

"It's such a longstanding record and I wouldn't do that to Mark.

"It's good to hold it with him."

Nitties was among a group of six players tied for second at eight-under 64, also including fellow Australian Jason Scrivener, New Zealander James Anstiss, American Kurt Kitayama, Chile's Hugo Leon and Englishman Callum Shinkwin.

On a day of remarkably low-scoring in benign conditions, 46 players were at five-under or better.

It shapes as a potentially career-changing week for Australian duo Nitties and Flanagan, as neither currently hold full playing status anywhere overseas and victory would ensure a two-year exemption on the European Tour.

Not that Flanagan, the 2003 US Amateur champion, was looking that far ahead despite his lowest-ever tournament round.

"I have had a few nine-unders on tour," he said.

"It felt super uncomfortable but it kind of came easy if that makes any sense, which it doesn't really.

"A couple of early putts dropped and I just wasn't trying too hard essentially."

Flanagan, 34, paid tribute to the osteopath who fixed his back on Monday and to Brett "Moose" Stephens, who has helped him with the mental side of the game.

Stephens has enjoyed a varied sporting life.

He first made his mark in 133 VFL/AFL games for Fitzroy before becoming tennis legend Pete Sampras's fitness trainer.

Nowadays he helps a variety of sportspeople in a different sphere.

"He definitely brings a different perspective to the mental side of things," said Flanagan.

"The golf part is my department but in between shots is really his department."

Felicity Johnson has become the latest Englishwoman to take a shine to the Vic Open by claiming a two-stroke lead after the opening round at 13th Beach.

The 31-year-old Johnson stormed home late in the day to shoot an eight-under 65 on the Creek course, good enough for a two-shot lead over Australian Su Oh, Canada's Anne-Catherine Tanguay and American Kim Kaufman.

The 36-hole beachside layout has become something of a stronghold for female English golfers in recent years, with Georgia Hall and Mel Reid lifting the Vic Open title in successive years in 2016 and 2017.

"Australia is like England but with sunshine so we obviously feel pretty at home here," said Johnson after her bogey-free round.

"We do play a lot of these courses at home, links-style with a bit of wind.

"It feels familiar almost."

Oh was the best-placed Australian after day one, with her six-under round highlighted by a hole-in-one on the 138m par-3 15th on the Creek course.

Oh finished 45th on the 2018 LPGA Tour money list and arrived at 13th Beach champing at the bit after a long break.

"I came in having had a good year, then I had two months off so I've had enough rest," said the 22-year-old Oh, who has fond memories of 13th Beach, having finished second on her professional debut here at the 2015 Vic Open.

"Now I just want to play.

"I've done so much practice and time off, whether I play well or not I just want to play and get some proper feedback.

"It's just really good to be back out there."

The hole-in-one was Oh's seventh in competition, although five of those came as an amateur.

World No.1 Minjee Lee began her title defence with a one-under 72, while fellow Australian and seven-time major winner Karrie Webb was one stroke further back.

After the start of play was delayed for 70 minutes by early-morning fog on Thursday, low scoring was the order of the day in benign conditions.

The $1.5 million women's tournament runs concurrently with the men's Vic Open on the 36-hole 13th Beach layout.

The women's Vic Open is being co-sanctioned by the LPGA tour for the first time in 2019.

PEBBLE BEACH PRO AM FORMAT AND CELEBRITIES

What is it? The Pebble Beach Pro Am has 156 professionals play an official US PGA Tour tournament concurrently to a teams event with 156 amateur partners. Each group has two professionals and two amateurs.

Location: The event is played across three courses - US Open rotational venue Pebble Beach Golf Links, as well as Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Format: On the first three days, two-man teams play a best ball format. A 54-hole cut is made and the final round is played at Pebble Beach.

Notoriety: The Pebble Beach Pro Am has developed worldwide fame due to its high volume of celebrities. This year, amateur contestants include surfing great Kelly Slater, NFL star Aaron Rodgers as well as comedian Ray Romano.

Big names in the field: Jason Day, two-time winner Dustin Johnson, 2017 champion Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott.

Australian contingent: Day, Scott, Cam Davis, Matt Jones, Aaron Baddeley, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Curtis Luck and Ryan Ruffels.

Purse: $US7.6 million (professional winner receives $US1.37 million).

Adam Scott says changes made during the past two years are beginning to pay off as he eyes a return to the winner's circle.

Scott has made coaching changes, putting adjustments, trialled playing in three-week blocs and in tournaments immediately before the four majors.

The process reached its low point in the first half of last year when Scott struggled to qualify for the US Open and plummeted to 76th on the world rankings.

But the former world No.1 is on his way back from the doldrums with a runner-up to Justin Rose at Torrey Pines two weeks improving his ranking to No.31.

Although the Queenslander's drought is almost out to three years, Scott feels he is on the cusp of reclaiming his top form as he prepares for this week's Pebble Beach Pro Am in California.

"I have made lots of changes over the last few years and think my game is close," Scott told AAP on Wednesday.

"Obviously, one week (at Torrey Pines) doesn't compare to three straight years of me playing at the highest level (between 2013 and 2016).

"But I can see now my good golf is the highest level, which is encouraging."

Scott reunited last year with former swing coach and brother-in-law Brad Malone, who worked with Scott in the years leading up to his historic 2013 Masters win at Augusta National.

At Torrey Pines last month, smooth-swinging Scott found success in adopting an arm-lock putting grip with a longer putter, ranking in the top 15 on the greens at the Farmers Insurance Open.

"If you ask Brad, I'm swinging the club really well and that confidence compounding over the next month could be really positive before the majors and big events this year," Scott said.

"Now, I feel like I'm going to have a good score every time I tee it up and I haven't had that consistency for a while. I'm on my way to getting it again," Scott said.

The father of two has also tweaked his schedule to fall in line with the PGA Tour bringing its calendar forward one month this year.

The 38-year-old is making his third start at the Pebble Beach Pro Am when he would usually still be on a break in Australia.

Scott is joined in the field by fellow Australian Jason Day, who finished runner-up at Pebble Beach last year.

Also contesting the event played across US Open rotational venue Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club are Australians Aaron Baddeley, Rod Pampling John Senden, Matt Jones, Curtis Luck, Ryan Ruffels and Cameron Davis.

Three-time major winner Brooks Koepka has accused Sergio Garcia of acting like a child following the incident which led to his shock disqualification from the inaugural Saudi International.

Garcia was disqualified for "serious misconduct" under rule 1.2a after admitting to damaging greens on the front nine of Royal Greens Golf & Country Club during the third round last week.

Koepka was playing two groups ahead of Garcia and therefore not directly affected by the actions of the 39-year-old, but was nevertheless unimpressed by what occurred.

"That's just Sergio acting like a child," Koepka told the Playing Through podcast.

"Everybody's got to play the same golf course. I didn't play very good, but you didn't really see anybody else doing that. You're 40 years old so you gotta grow up eventually.

"It's frustrating as a player to see. To act like that, the disrespect to everybody, to act like a child out there is not cool. It's not setting a good example and it's not cool to us, showing us no respect or anybody else."

It is far from Garcia's first brush with authority and led to calls on social media for the former Masters champion to face a hefty fine or suspension, but European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley told the Scotsman last week: "The incident is over. We have dealt with it. Sergio has apologised to the players and we move on."

Garcia apologised for his actions and Tommy Fleetwood believes his Ryder Cup teammate will "feel terrible" about the incident.

"I know Sergio very, very well," Fleetwood said in a press conference ahead of the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am.

"Whatever he's done in the spur of the moment he will clearly regret. And of course, it's not good when it's affected other players.

"I'm over it. Like it didn't affect me at all, but it's not great and it's not coming across in a great light and I know there's a lot of bad press about it. And I know for sure he will feel terrible about it."

Australia's most successful major winner Karrie Webb is comfortable with the decision to scale back her playing career.

Just don't make the mistake of calling her a ceremonial golfer.

As ever, the 44-year-old winner of seven major titles will be one of the major drawcards when she tees it up at 13th Beach on Thursday in the opening round of the women's Vic Open, which this year is part of the LPGA tour for the first time.

Webb's most recent tournament was at the British Open in August, after which she returned home to Australia to spend more time with her family and on course design.

"The commitment to play professional golf is 365 days and it's non-stop," said the Queenslander.

"When you're a young kid it's not a sacrifice, you choose golf every single time.

"And I was still choosing golf, but I didn't like that I was choosing golf over some life events."

She still plans to play roughly 10 LPGA tournaments this year - much the same as 2018 - beginning with the Vic Open and next week's Australian Women's Open in Adelaide.

The Vic Open was only added to the LPGA schedule in October, too late for many of the biggest names to include it on their 2019 schedule.

Defending champion Minjee Lee is the only player in the top 10 on the LPGA priority list at 13th Beach this year, although English duo Charley Hull and Georgia Hall are inside the top 21.

The field also includes 30 members of the Ladies European Tour, even though the Vic Open is no longer co-sanctioned by the LET.

The winner pockets $225,000, along with the life-changing prospect of exemption on the LPGA tour for the remainder of 2019 and 2020.

"It's fantastic that we've got back-to-back LPGA events," said Webb.

"Even for the younger kids that aren't playing this week, it's something to aspire to.

"It's going to be on TV for two weeks straight, which we haven't had for quite a few years.

"We've got a lot more competition in Australia in the women's sporting market now and we need to be as visible as the other women's sporting events."

World No.7 Lee is the hot favourite to win a third Vic Open title in the space of six years, but Webb is not dismissing her chances either.

"I don't view myself as a ceremonial golfer and I'm not here just so everyone can say 'it's so great to see you'," she said.

"I actually want to play and think I have a chance to do well in the events that I play in."

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S VIC OPENS GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH:

Men's tournament:

* 72 holes on the Beach and Creek courses at 13th Beach (both par 72)

* Major drawcards: Lucas Herbert (Aus), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Andrew Johnston (Eng), Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel)

* Defending champion: Simon Hawkes (Aus)

* Prize money: $1.5 million

* Co-Sanctioned: Australian PGA and European PGA Tours.

Women's tournament:

* 72 holes on the Beach (par 72) and Creek (par 73) courses at 13th Beach

* Major drawcards: Minjee Lee (Aus), Georgia Hall (Eng), Paula Creamer (US), Karrie Webb (Aus), Pernilla Lindberg (Swe)

* Defending champion: Minjee Lee (Aus)

* Prize money: $1.5 million

* Co-santioned: ALPG and LPGA Tours.