Scotland’s Calum Hill equalled the course record to build a commanding halfway lead at the DP World Tour’s Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, as Sergio Garcia charged into contention.
Hill fired 11 birdies – including five in his last six holes – on his way to a bogey-free 61 at Royal Golf Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain, matching the course record set by Brandon Robinson Thompson in last year’s event.
The two-time DP World Tour winner took advantage of benign morning conditions to card five birdies on his front nine, then added three more in a five-hole stretch from the 10th before holing long-range efforts at the 16th and 17th to extend his lead.
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A final-hole birdie closed a blemish-free round and moved him to 16 under, four clear of Germany’s Freddy Schott, with France’s Ugo Coussaud seven off the pace in third after a four-under 68.
“Today was really good,” Hill said. “I started off really well and then I had a few bonus putts from really long range to really go in and it just kept making birdies. It was nice.
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“That’s obviously my best round in competitive golf, in tournament golf. I knew the course record was 11 under, so I knew I needed to hole my last shot (to break the course record) and it looked very good in the air. I thought it had a chance but just long, but it was nice to finish off with a birdie.”
Former Masters champion Garcia slipped below the projected cut mark after a bogey at the eighth dropped him over-par for the day, only for the Spaniard to sensationally birdie seven of his next nine holes and jump to eight under.
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Sergio Garcia went on a late birdie burst during the second round in Bahrain
Garcia heads into the weekend in a logjam of 11 players in tied-fourth, including Dubai Invitational winner Nacho Elvira, with English trio Alex Fitzpatrick, Nathan Kimsey and Ben Schmidt all a further stroke back alongside Scotland’s Grant Forrest.
“It was nice to get going there, from nine onwards,” Garcia admitted. “I was struggling a little bit, obviously a little bit rusty. I hit some really nice shots, that was nice to see. I still didn’t feel amazing with my swing, so I still need to keep improving for sure, but I’m very happy to shoot 66.”
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Last week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic winner Patrick Reed, making his first start since confirming his exit from LIV Golf and his intention to return to the PGA Tour next season, is tied-22nd after a second-round 67.
Five players will return to finish their second round on Saturday morning at 7:45am local time (3.45am UK time) after play was suspended due to darkness.
Watch the Bacpo Energies Bahrain Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 9am on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
