Nicolas Colsaerts made a fast start to open up a two-shot lead during the second round of the Turkish Airlines Open.
The big-hitting Belgian held a share of the lead overnight at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort and birdies on the first and third moved him to nine under in the sixth Rolex Series event of the season with a seven million US dollar prize fund on offer in Turkey.
Playing partners Joost Luiten and Haydn Porteous played their first three holes in level par to sit at seven under alongside Ian Poulter who picked up two shots in four holes.
There was then a group of eight players at six under.
Colsaerts played the first in textbook fashion, leaving himself about 12 feet for birdie and holing the putt to move into the lead on his own.
Ahead on the par three second Padraig Harrington played the up-and-down of the week to stay at six under and, when the leading group arrived, Colsaerts got an incredible slice of luck, seeing his ball come down from the trees on the left allowing him to make par.
Dutchman Luiten went one better, finding the green with his tee-shot and holing his putt to take a share of the lead.
Poulter had birdied the first like Colserts and when he holed a 15-footer on the fourth, he was alongside Porteous and just a shot off the lead.
Colsaerts hit the front on his own again as he holed a left-to-righter from ten feet on the third and it was a two-shot lead when Luiten recovered well from finding the trees off the tee but three-putted.
South African Potrteous started his round with three pars.
In the group at six under the Danes were on the charge as defending champion Thorbjørn Olesen turned in 30 with a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh and Søren Kjeldsen was two under for the day through six holes.
Harrington, English trio Tyrrell Hatton, Eddie Pepperell and Lee Westwood, Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Argentinian Andres Romero were also six under.
