Louis Oosthuizen snatched the halfway lead at the Qatar Masters from former champion Andrew Coltart after the South African blitzed a flawless second-round seven-under-par 65 today.
With 1998 champion Coltart in the clubhouse on nine-under-par following a solid three-under 69, Abu Dhabi runner-up Oosthuizen battled early afternoon rain to reach the turn in three-under before taking advantage of calming conditions to move onto 12-under-par and establish a three-shot lead over the Scot.
Portugal Masters champion Alvaro Quiros leapt up the leaderboard and into third place with a five-under 67 which included a hat-trick of birdies to finish from the young Spaniard.
He is joined at eight-under by Australia's Brett Rumford who signed for a solid 69 which included just a solitary bogey.
Miguel Angel Jimenez, who held the overnight lead with Coltart and another former champion Henrik Stenson, was satisfied with a one-under 71 but sits five adrift in fourth.
After dropping just one bogey in his opening round 67 yesterday, Oosthuizen, 26, picked up a first shot of the second round at the 452-yard par-four fifth before blazing around the turn with four birdies in five holes.
Back-to-back birdies from the 15th quickly followed to put the two-time South African PGA Champion well in the hunt for a maiden European Tour breakthrough.
"I would have defiantly taken a three-shot lead after the second round. I am playing well and I am very happy," said Oosthuizen, who started the year with a 10th-placed finish at the Joburg Open.
"It's always a nice confidence boost to play well the week before and that second spot was very close to a play-off. It was nice bringing that form to Qatar and I am very happy."
Stenson, the 2006 champion, could only manage a level-par 72 to remain at six-under alongside Ireland's Damien McGrane (69) and Paul Broadhurst (70), while Lee Westwood need three late birdies to salvage a 73 and dropped into a tie for 16th alongside world number two Sergio Garcia, who signed for a second consecutive 70, at four-under.
Defending champion Adam Scott, who has a 100% record at Doha Golf Club after also winning in 2002, carded a second-round 70 to move to one-under-par.
At the other end of the leaderboard, American Ryder Cup winner Boo Weekley (73), Abu Dhabi winner Paul Casey (69), Justin Rose (72) and Colin Montgomerie (75) all missed the cut.
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