Calum Hill equalled the Royal Club’s course record with an 11-under-par 61 to take a four-shot lead in the Bahrain Championship at the halfway stage.
The Scotsman made 11 birdies to match the course’s lowest score – set by Brandon Robinson Thompson in the first round of the 2025 tournament – to seize the lead on 16 under.
The 24-year-old, seeking his third DP World Tour title, has a comfortable cushion over first-round leader Freddy Schott after the German added a 67 to his opening 65.
Schott is on 12 under, three clear of Frenchman Ugo Coussaud, with a group of 11 players on eight under – including former Masters champion Sergio Garcia.
“I started off really well then had a few bonus putts from really long range go in and I just kept making birdies,” said Hill after the lowest competitive round of his career.
“I knew the course record was 11 under, so I knew I needed to hole my last shot [to break it] and it looked very good in the air. I thought it had a chance.”
The Fife golfer opened with a birdie then picked up three shots in a row from the fourth to draw level with Schott.
Hill got to 11 under with further birdies at the ninth and 10th, and picked up shots at the 13th and 14th following outstanding approach shots.
He made a par at 15 but ended his round with three consecutive birdies and has a handsome lead as a result of dropped shots by Schott at the 15th and 18th.
Coussaud finished birdie-birdie to move into third on his own at nine under while Patrick Reed, champion in Dubai last week, is on six under.
