Reed ten back as red-hot Hill leads in Bahrain

Patrick Reed has his work cut out to catch Scotland’s Calum Hill and make it back-to-back DP World Tour wins at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

While the recent defector from LIV Golf followed his opening 71 with a five-under 67, he’s ten strokes off the pace after the Scot fired a course record-equalling 11-under 61.

Hill (31) made 11 birdies in a stunning round to lead by four shots on 16-under from Germany’s Freddy Schott.

"Today was really good," Hill said. "I started off really well and then I had a few bonus putts from really long range to really go in and I just kept making birdies. It was nice.

“That’s obviously my best round in competitive golf, in tournament golf.

"I knew the course record was 11 under, so I knew I needed to hole my last shot (to break the course record) and it looked very good in the air.

“I thought it had a chance but just long, but it was nice to finish off with a birdie as well. Very happy."

Undone by a run of five dropped shots in a five-hole stretch around the turn, Pádraig Harrington signed for a 74 that left him four strokes outside the projected cut mark with two groups unable to finish.

But it was a better day for the Irish at the HotelPlanner Tour’s season-opening SDC Championship in South Africa.

Galway’s Liam Nolan shot a bogey-free, five-under 67 to move up 31st on five-under, six strokes behind France’s Maxence Giboudot, whose 64 gave him a one-stroke lead on 11-under.

Gary Hurley shot 69 and Max Kennedy a 72 to make the three under cut on the mark.

Conor Purcell’s 67 was one shot too many while Ronan Mullarney’s 72 left him three shots further back.