DP World Tour: Grant Forrest part of share of halfway lead at ISPS Handa Championship in Japan | Golf News

Grant Forrest, Lucas Herbert and Jazz Janewattananond hold the halfway lead at the ISPS Handa Championship, with Max Kieffer in fourth spot; Watch the third round live on Saturday from 4am on Sky Sports Golf

Scotland’s Grant Forrest fired a round-of-the-day 62 to jump into a share of the halfway lead at the DP World Tour’s ISPS Handa Championship in Japan.

Forrest mixed nine birdies with a lone bogey during an impressive second round at PGM Ishioka GC, taking him to 10 under alongside Lucas Herbert and Jazz Janewattananond.

Beginning on the back nine, Forrest followed three birdies in his first five holes by taking advantage of the par-five 16th and adding another at the 18th to reach the turn in 30.

Grant Forrest is in contention to win a second DP World Tour title

Forrest cancelled out a bogey at the par-four second by birdieing two of his next three holes and holing from long-range at the par-three eighth, with a final-hole birdie then signing off the lowest round of the week so far.

“I didn’t realise where I was until the last green and I thought ‘oh this is for a 62’,” Forrest admitted. “Just plugged away all day. I didn’t really hole any putts yesterday but managed to roll in a few.”

Janewattananond birdied four of his last five holes to card a seven-under 63, a total matched by Herbert after he carded nine birdies and two bogeys, while Germany’s Max Kieffer heads into the weekend a shot off the pace in fourth spot.

“It was amazing,” Janewattananond said about his finish. “It was slow at the start and then it built up and I had a really good finish. I’m feeling good, feeling comfortable on the golf course, not so tense.”

England’s Jordan Smith is two off the pace after a four-under 66 took him to eight under alongside Takumi Kanaya and Deon Germishuys, while overnight leader Andy Sullivan is in the group three back that contains Rafa Cabrera Bello and Rasmus Hojgaard.

Former major champion Ernie Els made a hole-out eagle from a bunker to card a second-round 66, taking him to four under, while pre-tournament favourite Christiaan Bezuidenhout missed the cut after rounds of 70 and 71.

Watch the ISPS Handa Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 4am on Sky Sports Golf.