Tyrrell Hatton lived up to his billing as pre-tournament favourite by grabbing the halfway lead on home soil at the Betfred British Masters.
The LIV Golf League star, making his first regular DP World Tour start since January, followed a three-under 69 with a brilliant second-round 69 to move to 10 under at the Belfry.
Hatton mixed eight birdies with a lone bogey to top the leaderboard ahead of Spain's Jorge Campillo, France's Jeong weon Ko and South Africa's Brandon Stone.
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"We always say that we've left something out there, it's never perfect is it? But I'm more than happy with seven under today," Hatton said. "Ultimately it's the first job done to make the cut and give yourself a chance going into the weekend and I'm happy with where we're at."
How Hatton set the pace
Hatton missed numerous chances on the greens on the opening day but enjoyed more success with the putter on Friday morning as he rolled in a 15-footer at the par-three 12th and followed a good par-save at the next by making another birdie at the par-three 14th.
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The Englishman responded to failing to take advantage of the par-five 15th by posting back-to-back birdies over his next two holes and reaching the turn in 32, then bounced back from a missed chance inside five feet at the second to pick up a shot at the par-five next.
Hatton birdied the fifth and added another from off the green at the seventh to move to 10 under, before cancelling out his only bogey at the eighth by rolling in a birdie at the ninth - his final hole of the day to move back top of the leaderboard.
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Latest British Masters leaderboard
- British Masters: Latest headlines, video
- DP World Tour: Reports and highlights
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"Raced my first putt eight feet past and you don't want to start the round with a three-putt early doors," Hatton said. "Holed a good one there and a nice one on the next for birdie which got us off and running.
"I still missed a few short ones, so it will be nice if I can not do that over the weekend. I just need to keep giving myself opportunities. If you drive the ball well here then there's quite a few holes where you're going in with wedges and you can give yourself a good chance to score pretty low."
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Stone threatened the outright lead after eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch took him to nine under for the week, before he closed a second-round 64 with four pars, while Ko remains within one of the lead after a bogey-free 68.
Campillo completed the trio sharing second and Niklas Noorgaard shares fifth on eighth under with Tom Vaillant, while Thriston Lawrence is three strokes back and Lucas Bjerregaard is a further shot adrift.
Who will win the Betfred British Masters? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more with NOW.
