Andy Sullivan is tied at the top of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters leaderboard alongside Spaniard Jorge Campillo after the Nuneaton GC member shot his second 66 in Dhoa. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JORGE Campillo and Andy Sullivan shared the lead heading into the weekend at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

But they have a host of European Tour winners breathing down their necks at Education City Golf Club – the new venue for the event which has been a cornerstone of the European Tour’s Desert Swings for 20 years.

Sullivan – looking for his first European Tour title since he claimed three in 2015 to earn his Ryder Cup place in 2016 – took advantage of the low winds in the morning to fire a second consecutive 66 to get to 10-under.

And it looked for a long time as if the man from Nuneaton Golf Club would not be caught at the top of a congested leaderboard.

Sullivan, whose maiden win came at the South African Open early in the 2015 season, said: “I’ve got it under lock at the moment.

“I feel like I am control of myself, which is the most important thing for me, I really felt like I took my time a little bit more on shots and stuff.

“When I have been doing well before I generally rush the shot, maybe try to hit it a bit quickly.

“So I have been trying to take my time a little bit more and be a bit more composed over the shot trying to hit it to the right areas,” said the 33-year-old from Warwickshire, who won the Selborne Salver by shooting at record 60 at Blackmoor GC, in 2011.

“I’ve not been super aggressive the past two days and I have holed a couple of putts to keep me in it.

“So like I said yesterday, it’s just about being patient and that is what I have been doing the past two days,” said Sullivan, who stacked shelves at Asda 10 years ago to earn money to support his amateur golf career.

“I feel like I have grown up a little bit now on the golf course. You know I think that having a laugh on the course is all well and good – and I still enjoy it.

“But for me, I have really had to knuckle down the past two days to keep myself in check because there are times when I find myself wondering.

“It has been difficult, and it is something new for me, trying to keep focused for so long. Normally I drift in and out a little bit.

“But it’s been really good and positive signs as the golf has been really good,” added Sulllivan, who also recorded three wins in a season as an amateur in 2010 – winning the Hampshire Salver, the Lagonda Trophy and the Midland Amateur Championship.

But just when it looked like Sullivan might lead the tournament heading into the weekend, Jorge Campillo went blemish free in posting his own 66 to also get into double figures and join Sullivan in top spot.

“I’ve worked on a few things over the last week and in Oman, said Jorge Campillo.

“It’s working out good and I’m putting great as well – I’ve been putting awfully lately – and it’s been a great two days.

“It’s a nice position to be in going into the weekend. Hopefully I can play like this and if I do, I’m going to have a good chance to win on Sunday.”

•Jorge Campillo is due to defend his Trophee Hassan II title at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, which he won in April last year, when the event moves to its new date in June.

Björk goes lowest at Education City

SWEDEN’S Alexander Björk carded the lowest round of the week and his European Tour career with a course record 63 to sit at nine-under.

Björk, whose maiden win came in the 2018 Volvo China Open, said: “I have been struggling a lot lately, but I have been starting to feel last week that the game was getting a bit better.

“I played quite good yesterday but did not get the putts to drop, so I don’t know.

“I just got in a really good flow from the start, hitting almost every fairway, kind of firing at the pins so it just felt really good.

“I took advantage of the really calm weather and when you feel like the swing is really there, and there is no wind, you can aim at the pins and I got a lot of good chances.

“Like I said, I have been coming off quite a tough stretch, so it was a lot of fun to actually feel the flow again, and maybe my best round tee to green since I won two years ago.

“It was fun to get that feeling again because it was a long time ago.”

Bjork is alongside countryman Marcus Kinhult, Essex’s Oliver Fisher, Frenchman Romain Langasque and Dutchman Joost Luiten, a winner in Oman two years ago.

Danish trio Nicolai Højgaard, Benjamin Poke and Jeff Winther, South African Darren Fichardt, Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and England’s Jack Senior are three shots off the lead.

Teenage senation Højgaard, who led after a superb 64 on Thursday, added a level-par 71, containing three birdies and three bogeys as he seeks to match twin brother Rasmus’ rookie win in Mauritius.

•For live scoring in round three click here.

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Denmark teenager Nicholai Højgaard took the first round lead in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters’ first visit to Education City Golf Club, with a superb 64. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DENMARK’S teenage prodigy Nicolai Højgaard produced a remarkable run of scoring on the back nine to take the first round lead at the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Nicolai is looking to follow brother Rasmus into the winner’s circle – having announced himself on the professional stage when he finished second to Sergio Garcia at last season’s KLM Open.

Since then Nicholai – and identical twin brother Rasmus – whom he played with when the won the Eisenhower Trophy at the World Amateur Team Championship two years ago – have been blazing a trail on the European Tour.

Rasmus came through European Tour Qualifying School and then won the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on his European Tour debut in December, becoming the third youngest winner in its history,

Today, it was Nicolai’s time to shine at Education City Golf Club.

The 18-year-old turned in one-under but then made six birdies in eight holes from the 10th as he came home in 29 and hit the summit at seven-under after a 64.

Nicolai Højgaard said: “It was a good day. I started out slow – was playing really bad on the first four, five, six holes.

“I was still two-under at that point. But I was just playing it all over the place. My putter was just on fire today – that’s the difference.

“When I came to the back nine I was hitting fairways, hitting it close and rolling the putter,” said Nicholai, who also played in the Junior Ryder Cup in France, two years ago.

“You just hit the button and you keep going. I was hitting the fairway, I was hitting greens, I was getting close on the par fives.

“My putter was just the difference today. I was playing okay with the long game but I was just holing everything.

“The back nine is a bit more tricky off the tee so I would say it was more of a three-wood on the back nine, I was hitting a lot of three-woods and it was pretty good.”

Sullivan in chasing pack in Qatar

DUTCHMAN Joost Luiten was a shot back of leader Nicolai Højgaard and one ahead of a group of six players including Warwickshire’s Andy Sullivan, the 2016 Ryder Cup player, who won three times in 2015, but has not added to that success since.

Luiten said: “I am absolutely pleased. Seven birdies and one dropped shot, it wasn’t really needed that dropped shot coming out of the middle of the fairway.

“But on a golf course like this where it is really tricky on and around the greens, I was out of position, so sometimes you just have to accept the bogey. All in all, I am happy with my game.”

Luiten preferred not to spend too much time practising in the build-up because of strong winds in Doha, on Tuesday and Wednesday,

“I didn’t do a lot of practise because you can ask yourself if it really helps if you hit into a 50mph wind on the range?

“So I tried to stay away from it and played the course, get to know it a bit better and it was beautiful today.

“I think on the golf course if you are in the fairway you can be pretty aggressive to the undulated greens.

“I hit my irons and driver beautiful today which created a lot of chances and I rolled in a couple of putts.”

Spaniards Jorge Campillo and Carlos Pigem, Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli, Belgian Thomas Pieters, and another Dane in the shape of Jeff Winther all carded five-under par 66s to join Sullivan in a share of third place.

•For live scores in the second round of the Qatar Masters click here.

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Martin Kaymer’s last win came six years ago at the US Open – the German feels his rediscovered consistency means the next win is not too far away. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MARTIN Kaymer is hoping he can turn his recent consistency into a long-awaited win at the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

The German is a former European and World No. 1 with 11 European Tour wins – including two Major Championships.

But the last of those victories came nearly six years ago at the 2014 US Open Championship.

Kaymer, who lost a play-off in the 2015 Italian Open and surrendered a 10-shot lead in Abu Dhabi earlier that year, said recently he felt he had maybe been lacking focus over the last couple of years.

But after changing his trajectory to gain some length off the tee and working hard on his short game, the hero of Medinah – after holing the putt that won the 2012 Ryder Cup – has started his 2020 campaign with four consecutive top 20s.

The 35-year-old from Düsseldorf feels he is not far from ending his win drought, starting this week in the desert at Education City Golf Club, with this week’s event moving from its long-time home at Doha GC.

Kaymer, who is also happy to have Craig Connelly back on the bag after reuniting with the caddy, with whom he enjoyed his most successful spell, said: “I’ve been playing well.

“I’m working a lot on the short game, trying to get that putter in the right momentum.

“I’m very happy with the way I hit fairways, the way I hit greens, I’m playing very consistently and those top 16 finishes, it would be nice to make a couple more putts to actually have a chance to win.

“We had it already last week in Oman when it was really windy. Here it feels like it is more gusty so that will be very difficult.

“You will have some shots where you will get unlucky. It’s just a matter of accepting the good and the bad breaks and just go with it – there’s not much you can do.

“It’s always different,” Kaymer added. “In a tournament it really matters, to really understand and get to know the golf course in tournament mode – the way you play different holes.

“You’re going to play a bit more aggressive here and there,” added the German ace who has liking for the Desert Swing having won three times in four years, from 2008, at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.”

Kaymer spoke in Oman about his desire to not only win again – and get back in contention in more majors, but also his desire to play in the Olympics in Toyko – as well as earning a place in Padraig Harrington’s Ryder Cup team for Whistling Straits, where he won the 2010 USPGA.

Colsearts confident at Qatar Masters

KAYMER’S Miracle of Medinah team-mate Nicolas Colsaerts ended his seven-year winless run in the autumn at the Open de France, in October.

And after a top 20 in Oman last week, he too is feeling confident in the desert as he prepares for the 2020 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

Colsaerts said: “Everything kind of falls into place. I think I’ve been playing well since my first round of the year.

“If you look at the results you always want to get a bit more out of your weeks, I probably wasn’t really efficient enough on the greens.

“I thought I had a good chance last week. I had a putt on 13 on Sunday that would have got me two shots off the lead and I was feeling pretty good.

“I went for the win for a long time and thought I had a pretty good sniff so I’m pretty happy about everything.”

•To follow live scoring in the first round of the Qatar Masters, click here.

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Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell tweeted after his sensational third place at The Players Championship, at Sawgrass.

FRILFORD Heath’s Eddie Pepperell produced the performance of his life to shoot up the Players leaderboard even though he was eventually eclipsed by Rory McIlroy’s triumph at Sawgrass, finishing tied for third on Sunday.

While Irish eyes were smiling as McIlroy sparked a huge St Patrick’s Day celebration with his first win in golf’s unofficial fifth Major, it was the Oxfordshire ace’s remarkable rise up the leaderboard that delighted everyone who watched Eddie’s rise through the ranks as an amateur playing for B.B.&O. and England after a superb 66.

And that was topped by an incredible 30-foot putt at Sawgrass’ signature short hole for a two at the 17^th – his third birdie in a row and his fifth in seven holes from the 11^th.

His snaking shot came off a hump by the fringe before curling down the slope and into the bottom of the cup to send the huge crowd around the amphitheatre wild – even though he admitted he was walking after it as he expected to be left with just a tap in.

Eddie said: “I just figured it was going to be a tap-in. I was kind of relieved I didn’t have to face a three-footer in front of all those people, and then obviously when it went in.

“What can I say, it was pretty awesome, to be fair.”

The 28-year-old was in great company playing alongside Hampshire’s Justin Rose, who was hoping to gatecrash Rory’s party with a top five finish that would strengthen his hopes of regaining the World No. 1 crown from Dustin Johnson.

Pepperell admitted at the start of his round, lying in 16th place, he was not even contemplating beating his more illustrious playing partner.

Eddie added: “It was obviously fun. Playing with Justin was good. I mean, for the front nine, I just thought there’s no way I’m beating Justin today.

“He was pretty flawless and then it looked like he was going to kind of cruise around, and I kind of managed to make a couple of good birdies at the end of the front nine to give me something to go off.

“But it was a lot of fun. Obviously coming in on the 17th was special.”

That birdie got him to 14-under par and with Rory having made a bogey on the 14^th, Eddie was left with a difficult up and down on 18 to be the tournament leader in the clubhouse, and with a real chance of a play-off.

Eddie, who has two wins to his name on the European Tour after his victory in the British Masters at Walton Heath in October, added: “I knew that Jhonattan (Vegas) had hit the fairway, so I thought, he’s unlikely going to make a five from there.

“So I need to get this up-and-down on the last. And actually the chip was tougher than I thought it was going to be,” said Pepperell, whose drive down the last found the rough on the right.

He added: “So when I decided to hit the three-iron second shot to get up close to the green, I didn’t think it was going to be quite as fast, and then I saw it and obviously it was.

“I had to play it slightly different than how I had imagined it, but it was a nice putt to hole for sure.”

Pepperell, whose breakthrough win came in Qatar just over a year ago, was very pleased with his play over the back nine, which has seen tons of drama down the years – regardless of whether the Players has been played in March or May.

Eddie, who started Sunday down in 16^th place, said: “The bunker shot I hit on 14 and the pitch I holed on 15 were – no matter who hits them at any stage of a golf tournament – they’re great short game shots.

“They just gave me kind of a sense of huge confidence. I kind of felt invincible, really… around the greens.”

Having dropped a shot at the par five second, birdies at the seventh and ninth got him to the turn in one-under and nine-under for the tournament.

The former Drayton Golf Club junior got up and down well on the 11^th for a birdie, thanks to a perfect pitch.

He then made a birdie two at the 13^th before his crucial save from the bunker on the 14^th.

Back-to-back birdies on the 15^th and the par five 16^th got him within a sniff of Rory, and Eddie sent the temperature soaring with that putt on 17.

Pepperell, who is not a member of the PGA Tour, pocketed a cheque for $725,000.

But he admitted after feeling frustrated with his game in practice on Tuesday, the week at Ponte Vedra Beach – the home of the US professional tour in north east Florida – had been another steep learning curve.

Eddie said: “It’s eerily similar to what happened last year on a number of occasions. It’s unfortunate that I’ve got to go through those moments of frustration, but out the other side does come, you know, seemingly good stuff.

“I maybe wouldn’t have done that in the past. I wouldn’t have even bothered. I went home, went to sleep, came back, restarted and had a really productive Tuesday evening. Maybe that was the difference.

“But it’s not like I flushed the golf ball this week. If I hit it like that for the rest of the year, then you’ll see me with plenty of snapped clubs.

“It’s a great first experience at this place because I obviously hope I’ll be back here, and to have some really nice memories of what’s happened today – obviously coming back will be nice.”

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