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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.<\/b><\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
The Fife golfer opened with a birdie then picked up three shots in a row from the fourth to draw level with Schott.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n