Erik van Rooyen fired a 66 to set the clubhouse target on day two of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
The South African rookie finished third on last season's Challenge Tour to earn his spot on the European Tour and has made himself right at home, finishing second at the Joburg Open before Christmas.
He was back in contention again at Doha Golf Club, making seven birdies and a bogey to get to ten under and lead by one from American Sean Crocker and England's Oliver Fisher.
Ryan Evans was then in the clubhouse at eight under alongside overnight leaders Grégory Havret and Aaron Rai, who were in the early stages of their rounds.
Crocker made two eagles in his last three holes to sign for a 68, with Fisher making a single bogey in a 69.
After a birdie on the tenth and a bogey on the 13th, Van Rooyen looked in danger of slipping back on another day of excellent scoring conditions. A run of four birdies in a row from the 16th then catapulted him up the leaderboard and a tee-shot to 18 feet on the par three third handed him a two-shot lead.
Fisher and Crocker both joined Van Rooyen at nine under and set the clubhouse target but the 28 year old birdied the par five last to hit the front on his own.
Crocker has no official status on the European Tour and played his first four events of the season on invites, securing an impressive pair of top tens in Australia.
A tie for fifth at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth got him into last week's field at the NBO Oman Open but he is playing on an invite again in Doha and making the very most of the opportunity.
The 21 year old birdied the first but dropped shots on the sixth and seventh before getting back on an even keel at the tenth. Another dropped shot came on the 12th and after a birdie on the 14th, he was level for the day stood on the 16th tee.
He drove the green and made a 20-foot putt for eagle and then hit his second into the par five last to six feet to hit top spot.
Fisher came home in 31 on Thursday and carried that momentum over with a birdie on the first but he dropped a shot on the third before making a gain on the eighth.
A nice approach into the 16th had him within touching distance and he laid up on the last but hit a beautiful approach in for a closing birdie.
Evans regained his playing privileges via the Challenge Tour last season and has made all five cuts on his return to the European Tour.
He was bogey-free in his 67, making gains on the tenth, 13th, 16th, 18th and seventh.
Frenchman Havret and England's Rai were both one under after four holes of their second rounds.
Jamie Donaldson was bogey-free in a 65 that matched the lowest round of the week so far and included a birdie-birdie-birdie finish that fired the Welshman to seven under alongside five other players.
Italian Renato Paratore finished with two bogeys in a 66, with countryman Lorenzo Gagli signing for a 70.
Swede Marcus Kinhult and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon recorded rounds of 69 and Belgian Thomas Detry carded a 70.
There were then five players in the clubhouse at six under, with the event threatening to break its low cut mark of two under.
