Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 4-under-pair 69 in the second round on Friday to Vault in part of the lead at the trophy Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco.
The Spanjolen collected six birdies against two bogeys to pull the tie with Steven Alker from New Zealand on 7-under 139 in the PGA Tour Champions event at the Royal Golf Dar es Salam.
Jimenez is looking for his 14th career victory on the Champions Tour and only since 2022 Boeing Classic.
“I would like to (win),” said Jimenez. “It’s another round, Steve played very well. I played with him yesterday, he is a very solid player. Some guys there, Carlos also won last year here. Ok, I’ve played well, I have to focus on myself and Let everything happen.
“… I have met solid and played very well and I hope tomorrow I can finish there.”
Alker, who offers his ninth career master Tour victory, shared the first round with Englishman Simon Griffiths.
On Friday, Alker had three bogeys to compensate for three birds of the front nine before shortening three more birds to close their round. The reigning Charles Schwab Cup winner finished with a 70 and joined Jimenez with a two-stroke lead over Tim O’Neal (71 on Friday).
“Yes, I had a little slow start; I was 2 after four,” Alker said. “Just had to get started, give myself a little kick in the butt. Then got it up, made a bunch of birds type of middle there. And again, strong finish, pair at 18. Would have liked to have made Birdie but happy with the day as I started. ”
Griffiths dropped to a tie for 24th place after shortening a 77 on Friday.
The defending champion Ricardo Gonzalez from Argentina, who set a 54-hole record (209) on the track 2024, shot a 3-under 70 on Friday to move to fourth place in 4-under. He sits a shot in front of a nine-Golfer contingent that includes South African Ernie Els, who won the season opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Huallai last month.
Els, who entered the week on top of the Schwab Cup position, carded a 71 on Friday,
Angel Cabrera from Argentina shot a 68 in the second round to live on 3-under with South Koreas KJ Choi (69), Justin Leonard (70), Scotlands Colin Montgomerie (70), Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (71), Australia’s Greg Chalmers (71 ), Stewart Cink (72) and Adilson da Silva from Brazil.
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