Dubai: First-round leader Christopher Wood of Australia shot a second round 69 and to go 12 under at Millbrook Resort in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT on the Asian Tour.

Wood followed his first round of 61 with a three under par score over the Coronet Course, with a five-birdie round with nines of 35 and 34. Wood’s compatriot Shae Wools-Cobb is one back following a 64.

Strong position

Australia’s Scott Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, moved into a strong position after shooting a seven under par 64 on day two to sit in third place.

South Korean Jaewoong Eom, a fresh graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, is in a share of fourth, three off top spot after returning a 66 with three other players, that includes Australian John Lyras, another player to make it through the school, who fired a brilliant 62.

Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, in second place at the start of the day, came in with a 69 and is just four off the lead.

Incredible low scores

Two courses are being used this week in an event that also has a Pro-Am component with Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, on the Remarkables Course, unlike the two players ahead of him who played the Coronet Course.

Hend and Lyras played together in an incredibly low scoring group that saw them both eagle their opening hole the par five 10th.

Hend then birdied his next three holes, and made the turn in four under, as did Lyras before the latter edged ahead on the second nine, helped by another eagle on five, narrowly failing to match Wood’s opening day course record 61.

First start of the year

Eom played on the Coronet Course and made six birdies and dropped just one shot. He finished joint 14th at the Qualifying School in January, having won one of the pre-qualifiers, and is making his first start of the year on the Asian Tour.

Gunn, second in the International Series — Qatar two weeks ago, was not able to match his bogey free 66 yesterday but birdied 15 and 18 to give him a chance of a first Asian Tour victory at the weekend.

Another Asian Tour player who enjoyed a fine Friday is Chinese teenager Chen Guxin. The 19-year-old, playing on the Asian Tour this season thanks to finishing in the top-10 on last year’s Asian Development (ADT) Tour Order of Merit, carded a 68 and is seven under, in a tie for 12th.

Chen won twice on the ADT and finished fifth on the Merit list. He became the maiden player from his country to win an ADT event when he tasted victory in the Blue Canyon Classic, before winning the BRG Open Golf Championship — the first time an ADT event had been played in Vietnam.

This week’s event is joint sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour. The final two rounds will both be played on the Coronet Course. The cut fell at four under par with 73 players through to the weekend.

Second round leaders:

C. Wood (Aus) 61. 69. 130.

S. Wools-Cob (Aus) 67. 64. 131.

S. Hend (Aus) 68. 64. 132.

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