Zane Scotland, the most successful player in the history of the MENA Golf Tour with six titles, put himself in line for a seventh one.
A sizzling birdie burst on the back nine in Oman’s Ghala Valley Open yesterday took the Englishman to the top of the leaderboard.
The 32-year-old Scotland, who opened with a 68, returned a solid 69 to move to seven-under, four shots ahead of a six-man group which included overnight leader Antonio Arjona Bueno of Spain, Shafiq Masih (Pakistan), James Yeoman (England), Faycal Serghni (Morocco), Juan Salcedo (Mexico) and Carlos Balmaseda (Spain).
The English duo of Christopher Cannon and Jake Shepherd and Scotland’s Daniel Kay shared eighth place a further shot adrift on two-under par.
Starting the day one shot behind Bueno, Scotland made the turn at one-over, but found a great rhythm coming home with four birdies in his last six holes helping him zoom past his rivals.
Scotland, who said the key to scoring low at Ghala Valley depends on how well you hit it off the tee, added: “I played steady on the front nine and had a good finish. Things become far easier if you are driving the ball straight, and I did that pretty well on the back nine.
“I think I am fine with my driver. If I continue to play the way I am playing, I think I stand a good chance tomorrow.
Young English amateur James Yeomans turned in the most impressive performance of the day, shooting his career best score, a 67, to move top in his division on threeunder par, one ahead of Kay.
The 23-year-old, who eagled the par-5 13th hole, hitting his 4-iron approach from 230 yards to about 30 feet and then making the putt, said: “My front nine was pretty average, but I got hot with the putter on the back nine which I played in six-under.”
If Yeomans produced the best score of the day, Kay took the honour of smashing the best shot of the day when he holed the 146-yard, par-3 second with a nine iron for the only ace of his career.
Serghini followed his first-round 70 with a 71 to consolidate his position in the MENA Division for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award. Compatriot Ahmed Marjane, winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, is second at one-over.
Current Order of Merit lead, England’s Luke Joy, improved from his first-round 75 with a 70, but will have to make up for an eight-shot deficit if he has to add a third win under his belt this year.
The cut was made at seven-over 151 with 49 professionals and 10 amateurs making it to the final round. Among the notables who missed the cut included Cyril Suk of the Czech Republic and UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh.
