Daniel Gaunt of Australia shares the lead with Federico Colombo at the Kazakhstan Open in Almaty on Friday.
Gaunt, whose 66 was his second successive bogey-free round, is enjoying a rich vein of form over recent weeks and having started the season on the Satellite EuroPro Tour earned promotion to the Challenge Tour courtesy of his victory at the English Challenge, and is now in sight of a place on The European Tour.
Gaunt said: “I was struggling a bit out there in the early part of my round, but managed to keep it going and then finished on a real high with a birdie and an eagle. Maybe I was trying to force matters early on, so I decided to relax a bit more and it seemed to do the trick. I found something in my swing over the last five or six holes today, and that gives me a lot more confidence going into the weekend. I’m just going to go out there and try to have some fun. Hopefully the weather stays the same, because it’s been a real joy playing out there. It’s obviously an important weekend, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Colombo and Gaunt currently lead by two strokes from Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and Spaniard Alvaro Velasco, who share third place.
A front nine of 29 helped catapult Jamieson 25 places up the leader board. The Scot, currently languishing in 71st place in the Challenge Tour Rankings and therefore in need of a strong showing this week, flew out of the blocks with seven birdies – including four on the spin from the sixth hole – to break 30 for the first time in his Challenge Tour career.
Of the morning starters, the biggest move was made by Velasco, currently sixth in the Challenge Tour Rankings and with his return to The European Tour all but assured after one victory and a further three top five finishes so far this season.
The Barcelona-born 29 year old, who captured his maiden Challenge Tour title on home soil at the Fred Olsen Challenge de España in June, currently trails Rankings leader Oscar Floren by €27,188.
Jonathan Caldwell of Team Ireland finished with round of 76 on four over missing the cut by ten shots.
