Melbourne's Todd Sinnott is pushing for a spectacular end to his Asian Tour season, moving into the joint lead of the concluding $US1million ($A1.5 million) Saudi Open in Riyadh at halfway.
The 31-year-old Victorian, who's run into some good form with a joint-seventh place finish at last month's Australian PGA Championship, shot a second straight four-under-par 67 on Friday to join Thailand's Denwit Boriboonsub and Phachara Khongwatmai at the top of the leaderboard.
It was the ideal tonic for Sinnott, who's 58th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and needs a solid week to make sure he stays in the top-65 to keep his card for next year.
And on his final hole of the day - the par-four ninth - at Riydah Golf Club, he enjoyed the perfect launchpad for a potential weekend challenge as he concluded by holing out from just over 100 metres for an eagle.
"I had 103 metres and kind of a hair off the right wind, so I just hit a little hold up sand wedge," Sinnott told the tour's official website.
"That was perfect, I thought it would be close but, yeah, a nice little cherry on top when it goes in.
"The tournament is moving on nicely. I probably hit a fair bit better than what I scored today I feel. I kind of just felt like every hole I was just going over the edge of the hole, hitting good putts.
"I just hung patiently and got a couple back on the last hole which was nice, kind of evened it out."
Boriboonsub and Khongwatmai both carded five-under 66s in the second round, leaving the Thai duo and world No.549 Sinnott at eight under, one shot clear of another Thailand player Panuphol Pittayarat, with Sweden's Bjorn Hellgren a further shot back.
Chapchai Nirat held a two-shot lead after the opening round, but carded a two-over 73 to slip to three shots behind the leaders.
The 20-year-old Boriboonsub is the form player, going for a hat-trick of wins after lifting the Aramco Invitational two weeks ago on the Asian Development Tour and following up with victory in the Thailand Open last week.
Sinnott will be looking for just his second triumph on the Asian Tour after his Myanmar Open victory six years ago, while he also won a Players Series event in Victoria on the Australasian tour in February last year.
