Haydn Barron posted a red-hot five under par back nine to surge to the top of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters leaderboard and take a two-stroke advantage into the weekend at Doha Golf Club.
Related: Zander Lombard lets Middle East form flow in Qatar
The Australian, playing in his maiden DP World Tour season after progressing through Qualifying School in 2023, went one better than his four under par opening effort to reach nine under after 36 holes, two clear of countryman Harrison Endycott and Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, who share second on seven under.
Barron, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Thursday, carded nine straight pars on day two before bursting into life on the tenth.
View this post on Instagram
He birdied the first hole after the turn, then reached two under for the day with another gain at the 14th, before reeling off three in a row to finish and secure his first 36-hole lead in just his eighth DP World Tour start.
Endycott also went bogey-free in posting his four under round of 68 to ensure he would join Perth native Barron in Saturday’s final group, where they will be joined by Hoshino after he held his nerve over an eight-foot par putt on the 18th.
South African Zander Lombard and Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard share fourth place after their respective rounds of 71 and 72, while four-time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Højgaard is one of ten players in a tie for sixth after his six under 66, the low round of the day.
Player quotes
Haydn Barron: “It was a good day. Got off to a slow start with nine pars in a row out the front. I was hitting really good shots, playing really well, but the putts were just sliding by. Hit one just through green on ten and chipped one close to see my first birdie then felt a bit of momentum and rolled a couple in coming home.
“It’s a beast of a golf course. You’ve got to strike it well, hit the fairway and sometimes you’ve just got to hit the greens and take your 60, 70-footer if you’re out of position. It’s a course than takes some wit and luckily Matty’s been doing a good job on the bag and we’ve left ourself some good numbers.”
Harrison Endycott: “I just hit it where I needed to hit it. It felt slow today, couldn’t quite get the ball where I wanted to get it to, but that’s what the defence of this golf course is. The greens are so big, really firmed out and it was tricky to knock it in close so you just had to hang in there.
“Felt a little scrappy on the front nine, found a bit of rhythm and kept the momentum going. Disappointed to hit a poor drive up the last and not make birdie but I feel like I’m in a good spot going into the weekend.”
Zander Lombard: “More of the same. It was pretty consistent. Started off with two bogeys but it was early morning and still half asleep. Happy with one under. It was a tough getting it under par but another step forward to the weekend.
“It was that old cliché of staying patient. Something’s going to happen, I’m playing well so it felt like I did that pretty well. I had a few inconsistent bounces on the greens, some were soft, some were firm, bit of the morning moisture on the greens.”
Rasmus Højgaard: “I played very nicely today. Obviously the front nine was very fun. Many birdies and an eagle there. It was a nice start to the day. The next nine was more of a struggle, the wind picked up a bit and I didn’t hit it as close to the flags. Very happy to sign for a 66.
“I do prefer tricky conditions like this where you do have to be on your game to make sure you set up some good chances. I like this set up.”
