Johnson leads by three at Royal Greens

Dustin Johnson produced a golfing masterclass as he surged into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the inaugural Saudi International powered by SBIA.

The World Number Three set a new course record with a nine-under-par 61 after taking advantage of calmer conditions on Friday morning at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Johnson rolled in seven birdies and a terrific eagle to get to 11 under for the tournament, with his nearest challengers - South African Zander Lombard and China’s Li Haotong - at eight under.

Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti and Australian Scott Hend are one shot further back, with Frenchman Alexander Levy, South Africa's Richard Sterne, New Zealand's Ryan Fox, Englishman Chris Paisley and Australia's Jake McLeod are at six under.

Johnson can record his first victory at a non co-sanctioned European Tour event if he maintains his place at the summit of the leaderboard and the American feels his patience on the course paid off in the second round.

Starting on the back nine, Johnson began his assault to the top of the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies at the tenth and 11th to move to four under.

The American improved his score with gains at the 15th and 18th before recording his fifth birdie with a 20-foot putt at the second.

The 34 year old then took the lead for the first time with a superb eagle at the fourth when he rolled in a 30-foot putt from the fringe, before holing an equally impressive slider from left to right to reach ten under at the sixth.

Johnson picked up another shot at the next with a confident eight-foot putt to take a stranglehold at the top in King Abdullah Economic City.

Last week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Bryson DeChambeau is at four under after a second successive 68 by the World Number Five.

Four-time European Tour winner and World Number Two Brooks Koepka felt he played better than his score suggested as he edged through on one under, alongside 2017 Masters Tournament winner Sergio Garcia, while fellow American Patrick Reed finished on two under.

Koepka said: "I played really well. I played good enough to be right up there around the lead. I can't figure out these greens. You can hit three putts and they'll go three different ways."

Lombard, starting on the back nine, briefly held the lead during the early stages of the second round, despite registering a bogey at the 12th following his stunning form around the turn.

He finished the back nine with birdie-eagle to join overnight leader Thomas Pieters before a close chip to concessional range at the first put the South African into the outright lead, and when he dialled in to six feet at the next, he was two ahead.

However, Lombard carded a bogey at the last to drop back to eight under as Johnson powered to the front.

Li hit birdies at the 11th and 13th to start his round in positive fashion and moved to seven under when he rolled in great long putts from 25 feet and 35 feet respectively at the second and the third.

His progress stalled when he got onto the par-five fourth in three shots but three-putted for his only blot on this card, only to hit back with birdies at the seventh and the ninth.

Zanotti hit four birdies in a blemish-free second round to add to his first-round 67, while Hend turned in for 30 during his seven-under-par 63 to climb to tied fourth.

Levy holed out from the fairway for a stunning eagle two at the sixth during his five-under-par 65.

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