Rising star Nick Dougherty showed just why he's so highly rated with a fine round of 67 that helped him take the lead from defending champion Colin Montgomerie at the Caltex Masters in Singapore.
The 22-year-old started the day three shots behind Montgomerie but ended it one-shot clear at the top after an eventful round that featured an eagle, six birdies and three bogeys.
Having gone out on the back nine in a modest 37, the Liverpool native then hit a remarkable run of form with five birdies in six holes immediately after the turn.
His 18-foot putt on the par-four sixth - his 15th - took him level with Montgomerie at eight under but better was to come at the next when his second shot on the 616-yard par five finished within a foot of the pin.
Dougherty tapped in for an eagle to move two shots clear at 10 under but at the last he lagged a 35-foot putt a long way past the hole and missed the return to drop a shot.
Montgomerie could not reproduce yesterday's bogey-free round as he dropped shots at the second and 10th, although birdies at the third, fourth and 15th.
Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell was best of the Irish after his round of 69 left him 8 shots off the pace on one-under-par. However both Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane miss the cut, finishing on five-over and seven-over-par respectively.
