Jyoti Randhawa rode the momentum of a solid front nine to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Singapore Masters at the Laguna National Golf Club on Friday.
The 34-year-old from New Delhi shot a four-under 68 on the more demanding Masters Course to finish on 11-under-par at the halfway point, just ahead of Scotland's Barry Hume, who overcame a late double-bogey to stand alone in second place.
Malaysia's Ian Steel and Briton Gary Lockerbie are a shot further back in a tie for third place after rounds of 65 and 67 respectively, one stroke ahead of joint overnight leader Liang Wen-chong of China and Ireland's Peter Lawrie.
The $1.1 million European and Asian Tour event is split over two layouts for the first two rounds with the final 36 holes played on the traditional venue, the Masters Course.
Randhawa began the day in a tie for third place after an opening seven-under 65 on the easier Classic Course on Thursday, and he was soon making his move up the leaderboard with two birdies on the opening three holes.
Back-to-back birdies from the seventh hole were offset by a bogey on the ninth to leave Randhawa tied for the lead with Hume, who had completed his second round earlier in the day.
Randhawa kicked on after the turn and picked up two more shots to surge clear of the field before a bogey at the difficult par-three 17th, resulting from a pulled tee shot into the deep rough on the left of the green, cut his advantage to one stroke.
STUNNING APPROACH PLAY
Hume birdied three of his first four holes on the way to a three-under 69, putting him in contention for a first professional victory in his second season on the Asian Tour.
Joint third overnight with Randhawa and Japan's Shingo Katayama, Hume stormed to the top of the leaderboard with some stunning approach play at the start of his round, hitting wedge shots to within five feet for birdies on the opening two holes.
An accurate nine-iron approach on the par-four fourth set up another birdie before the 25-year-old Glaswegian rattled off 10 straight pars until consecutive birdies from the 15th took him to 12-under for the tournament and clear of the field.
However, a loose tee shot on the 17th found the water to the right of the green, leaving the 2002 Scottish Amateur champion scrambling to make a double-bogey five and Randhawa took advantage to end the day ahead of the field.
Defending champion Mardan Mamat is on three-under after firing a disappointing one-over 73, a stroke clear of his predecessor, Nick Dougherty of Britain.
The cut was made at two-under par, leaving the tournament deprived of the three European Ryder Cup players in Singapore this week -- Britons Darren Clarke, David Howell and Lee Westwood.
Clarke finished three-over for the tournament, Howell fared marginally better on even par after two rounds and Westwood narrowly missed out on one-under par despite recording three birdies in the last four holes.
