Joachim B. Hansen picked up five shots in his first 11 holes to move into a share of the lead early on day two of the Oman Open.
The Dane has enjoyed an encouraging start to the season since regaining his playing privileges on the European Tour, making six of seven cuts, and he took that form to the next level at Al Mouj Golf.
He made six birdies and a single bogey on the second morning to move to seven under and join overnight leader Kurt Kitayama at the top of the leaderboard, with the American turning in 35.
Germany's Maximilian Kieffer was then at six under having played 14 holes, one clear of afternoon starters Scott Jamieson and Yusaku Miyazato.
French duo Benjamin Hebert and Clément Sordet had then joined the large group three shots off the lead.
Kieffer was out in the very first group of the day and he soon moved to within two of the lead with birdies on the second and third.
Kitayama birdied the 12th and 14th to jump out to eight under and another Kieffer gain on the seventh meant he was the nearest challenger on his own.
The leader then bogeyed the 15th, picked the shot back up on the next but dropped another stroke on the 17th, and when Kieffer made a gain on the 12th, the lead was tied.
Hansen started the day four shots off the lead but a brilliant burst of scoring around the turn moved him into a share of top spot.
Last season's European Challenge Tour Rankings winner made birdies on the tenth and 14th but was still well back when he dropped a shot on the 15th.
He then made four birdies in five holes from the 16th to join Kitayama at seven under, with Kieffer making a first bogey of the day on the 14th.
Sordet turned in 32 with four birdies on the back nine but dropped a shot on the first in his opening 11 holes, while countryman Hebert made gains on the third and ninth to turn in 34.
French trio Raphaël Jacquelin, Alexander Levy and Adrien Saddier, Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, England's David Horsey, Belgian Thomas Pieters and Zimbabwean Scott Vincent were among the later starters at four under.
