Calum Hill fired a stunning round of 64 to set the clubhouse target on day two of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The Scot hit the headlines with a stunning run of form last summer, winning twice with three other top tens in five starts on the European Challenge Tour en route to claiming his European Tour card.
A top 15 at last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship was a good start to European Tour life and he brought that form to Heritage Golf Club, moving to 12 under as he matched the lowest round of the week.
Rolex Series winner Brandon Stone was then at 11 under after a 67, a shot clear of American Sihwan Kim.
Rookie Rasmus Højgaard was among the later starters and he picked up three shots in his first seven holes to sit at nine under.
Australian Travis Smyth carded a bogey free 66 to sit at eight under, a shot ahead of South African pair Louis de Jager and Darren Fichardt, Scot Grant Forrest and Swede Joel Sjöholm.
South African Stone entered the day in a share of the lead but quickly burst clear with birdies on the tenth, 11th and 13th helping him turn in 33.
Hill also started on the back nine and he was even more impressive, with gains on the tenth and 16th sandwiching a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th.
Stone got to double figures with a birdie on the second and another on the third was followed by a 15 footer on the sixth that moved him to 12 under.
Hill was not giving up the chase, however, birdieing the second and third, and a Stone bogey on the eighth meant there was a share for the lead.
Stone parred the ninth to set the target and led alone when Hill bogeyed the sixth but the 25-year-old hit straight back with a two putt birdie on the par five seventh.
A wonderful 18 foot putt over the ridge on the ninth then edged Hill into the solo lead for the first time.
Kim made a hat-trick of gains from the fifth to turn in 33 and added further birdies on the 15th and 16th in his bogey free effort.
Dane Højgaard birdied the 12th and made an eagle on the par five 14th.
Sjöholm finished second on an invite last week to be in the field in Mauritius and he carded a 66, with De Jager going one better, Fichardt carding a 69 and Forrest a 71.
