Thomas Detry of Belgium, looking for a maiden European Tour title, climbed to the top of the board at the halfway stage of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.
Detry, who started three hits behind director of the night Richard Sterne, placed five birdies to match his score in the first round of five under-par 67s in a second consecutive round without a bogey at Emirates Golf Club.
Two of Detry ‘s final three rounds of the Tour came through a UK swing last year and he hopes to take it a step further in Dubai – a place he will soon call home to.
“I’ve been playing really good golf, keeping it on track and hitting all the green lawns and going up and down once or twice well. So I’m really happy,” Detry, who has a one-stroke lead at 10-under overall, said.
“It would be very special [to win]. I’ll be moving here in a week or two, too, so this is my new home. So it would be amazing to win at home. “
Robert MacIntyre, who also started the day with three strokes behind Sterne, recorded four birdies in his impressive round of 68 to move up to second at the age of nine.
Justin Harding of South Africa and Kalle Samooja of Finland shared third place with Tommy Fleetwood, who won a five – time European tour, who took the final hole to join them on eight.