England's Brandon Robinson Thompson secured a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
Doha, Qatar: Brandon Robinson Thompson surged ahead at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, securing a two-shot lead heading into the weekend. His standout moment came on the 16th hole, where a sensational eagle set him apart from the chasing pack on Friday.
The in-form Englishman has been riding a wave of momentum, having shattered the course record with an opening 61 in Bahrain last week. He continued his strong play in Doha, carding a 66 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at Doha Golf Club.
South Korean MK Kim was in a tie with Chinese pair Wenyi Ding and Li Haotong for the second spot.
Building on that performance, Robinson Thompson delivered a flawless second round, signing for a bogey-free 68. His round featured birdies on the eighth and tenth holes, capped by a brilliant eagle on the par-four 16th, further cementing his place at the top of the leaderboard.
He drove the 16th green, sending his tee-shot to four feet, before tapping in the eagle putt to climb to ten under par.
Qatar's Saleh Al Kaabi in action.
After finishing up with two closing pars, he set a testing clubhouse target which none of the afternoon starters were able to match.
Robinson Thompson revealed Qatar feels like a home from home for him, having spent a lot of time there over the years.
He said: "I’ve been here so many times. I used to come here every year for about five or six years. I’ve played this course 50 or 60 times. I’m so comfortable out here. There isn’t a shot that I probably haven’t seen already and I have a bit of support out here."
"I’ve had a lot of friends I’ve met who have come out and supported me. It’s like a home game for me and that’s where the confidence and comfort comes from."
Qatar’s Daniil Sokolov with his caddie.
Speaking about Friday's round, Robinson Thompson said: "A great morning. It was tough, actually. The wind was ripping early. I thought the pins were quite tricky, so it was a lot of discipline.
"I hit a lot of shots to 30-40 feet and took my two putts and tried to take advantage of holes I could give myself chances on. Snuck one in on 16, hit driver to three or four feet. Happy with how I stayed patient and it’s good to finish bogey free,” Robinson Thompson said.
South Korean MK Kim and Chinese pair Wenyi Ding and Li Haotong were in a tie for second on eight under after they each signed for 67s on day two. Japan's Keita Nakajima and England's Dan Brown were another shot back in joint-fifth.
Qatar’s Daniil Sokolov and Saleh Al Kaabi both missed the cut after finishing in 126th and 138th positions respectively.
