“I hit every fairway on the true front side, hit every green,” Swift said. “I gave myself some putts at the hole and made a few.”

Swift quickly turned that 1-over around, carding a birdie, an eagle and seven pars on the front nine — his second nine — to post a 2-under 69 for a two-day total of 5-under 137 and the lead after two days of the New England Amateur golf championship Wednesday.

“I feel like I have the green speeds down,” Swift said. “The longest putt I had for a two-putt was, I think, three feet. I feel pretty good for (Thursday).”

When he came off the course having played in the first wave of the second round, Swift thought he’d be somewhere within striking distance.

“I was figuring I’d be two or three off the lead going into (Thursday),” Swift said.

Instead, as first-round leader Craig Steckowych struggled to a front-nine 40 and a two-day total of 144, Swift, a quarterfinalist two weeks ago in the Connecticut Amateur, found himself in the lead.

Casey Komline of Vermont posted a 4-under 67 late in the first wave for a two-day total of 138, one back of Swift’s pace.

Among Maine golfers, the biggest move in Wednesday’s second round came from John Hayes IV out of Prouts Neck. He fired a 3-under 68 to close the first two rounds at 144, seven back of the lead and well within the cut line, which at the low 40 plus ties, fell at 148.

“First day I started on the back nine, and I hit three balls out of bounds,” Hayes said. “But today, I just started making putts. I hit the ball real well at the Maine Amateur, and the past three days. I just started making putts today.”

He made putts, but he could have made more. After a three-under 32 on the front, Hayes had chances to keep the momentum going early on the back nine.

“I hit it to one-and-a-half feet on 11 but missed the birdie putt, and then on 12 I missed a five-footer for birdie, and I kind of lost some momentum there,” Hayes said.

He found his mojo again on the 17th, rolling in a five-footer for birdie to even up his back nine to post his 68.

“Seventeen, that was a big boost,” Hayes said. “I wanted to try and make a birdie on 18 to come in with a 67, but seventeen, that was a big boost because I had been missing five- and 10-footers on the back.”

Swift, though, was too tough — and too consistent — for the second consecutive day.

He posted two bogeys and a birdie on his first nine after teeing off from No. 10. He made 10 consecutive pars following his second bogey, drained a birdie at No. 7 and then an eagle at the par-5 eighth.

“I knew 7-8-9 were all easier holes,” Swift said. “There are two par-3s you have to look out for, but I was able to go 3-under (on the second nine), so I was happy.”

Reigning Maine Amateur champion Seth Sweet of Madison added 73 to his first round total of 72 for a 145, and he’ll be around to play the third and fourth rounds Thursday, as well.

Three-time Maine Amateur champion Ryan Gay was at 1-under after the first day, but a 79 Wednesday put him at 149 and he missed the cut by one.

Other Maine golfers who made the cut and will play two rounds on Thursday included Judd Parsons (147), Joe Walp (147) and Tommy Stirling (147).

Golfers will tee off from both the first and 10th tees again Thursday morning for the third round, and will get a half hour for lunch before heading back out in the same pairings for the fourth and final round in the afternoon.