Gregorio De Leo will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Turkish Airlines Open but a host of fellow would-be first-time DP World Tour winners are chasing him down.
Just as with round one, players were met by near-perfect conditions on another sunny day with minimal breeze, but low scoring proved a challenge at the National Golf Club.
Italian De Leo, playing in the morning wave on Friday, was bogey-free on his back nine as he set the clubhouse target at seven under with a 68 in Belek, Antalya.
He was briefly joined at that mark by afternoon starters Alejandro Del Rey and Jens Dantorp, but they both fell back into a four-strong group of players one shot back that also included Sam Bairstow and Kazuma Kobori.
First-round leader Mikael Lindberg was then at five under in solo sixth after a second-round 73.
Defending champion Martin Couvra was among those to make the cut on the number at one over, with Asian Swing leader Jordan Gumberg also progressing through to the weekend after making a closing birdie.
De Leo is chasing his maiden DP World Tour win after regaining his playing privileges at Qualifying School for the second time after a rookie campaign that featured two top-five finishes.
A former Alps Tour Order of Merit winner in 2022, the 26-year-old was indebted to his caddie Adam Drummond after a late arrival in Türkiye.
“I got here on Wednesday afternoon, so I didn’t even have a practice round,” he said.
“I didn’t know how the course was playing so I am really [thankful] of my caddie Adam. He really helped me out yesterday and today. It worked out.
“We started out in Australia, so it’d been five months and we’re a good team.
“He was driving me around the course because I didn’t know anything about it, especially yesterday. Today, I was a little more cautious of the shots where I was hitting them but he was really helpful.”
He added: “Low expectations definitely help but I don’t think next week I am going to do the same.”
De Leo started his round with a birdie at the tenth, before adding further gains at the par-five 12th and 14th either side of his solitary bogey of the day at the 13th.
He added further birdies at the fourth and seventh and was thrilled with his performance on the greens in particular.
“It definitely felt very good,” he said. “I played very well. I was solid off the tee, and my putting really helped me today.
“I think I holed a lot of feet of putts so I am very happy.”
Of his nearest pursuers, Del Rey is the only player to have won on the DP World Tour after he claimed his maiden win in Ras Al Khaimah last season.
The big-hitting Spaniard made back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th to move alongside Del Reo but a bogey – his second of the day – at the 18th saw him settle for a 71.
"With the set-up today, it was a tough course," he said.
"It wasn't very gettable and probably the scores show that.
"Signing for an under par round without feeling my best is pretty cool."
Swede Dantorp, a runner-up on the DP World Tour in 2023, reached seven under with a birdie at the third - his 12th - but slipped back a shot with his solitary dropped shot at the seventh.
Bairstow, another of the afternoon starters seeking a breakthrough title, made six birdies in an eventful round that also saw the Englishman make a double bogey and two bogeys to card a 70.
Kobori will also be encouraged that this week could be his time to claim a first win on golf's Global Tour after he made a hat-trick of birdies after the turn in a 68.
Last year, the New Zealander finished second at The Belfry as he reached the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in his rookie campaign.
"It’s [offering] a bit of belief, evidence that I can compete out here from last year so to be honest I’m just trying not to force the issue as much and just keep playing my game over the course of 72 holes and see where that takes me," he said.
Lindberg, playing alongside Kobori, mixed two birdies with three bogeys but he is still in the mix to challenge for the title.
Couvra enjoyed a bogey-free 68 on day one but he was out of sorts in a round that featured two double bogeys and needed a birdie at the seventh late on Friday to just make the cut.
Another player who left it late was Gumberg, with the American holing a crucial putt at the 18th to card a 73 that boosts his chances of securing a spot at this month's US PGA Championship for the top three finishers on the Asian Swing Rankings at the end of this week.
Dan Bradbury was among those to miss out though, with a much-improved 68 still seeing him fall one shot shy of progressing through for the final 36 holes after a missed birdie putt at the last.
The Turkish Airlines Open marks the final event of the Asian Swing, before the European Swing begins next week with the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship. To buy your tickets for that event, click here.
