Miguel Angel Jimenez recorded his lowest round on the European Tour for two years to take the lead in the Austrian Open.
The 56-year-old carded a seven-under-par 65 on Friday in Atzenbrugg, his lowest score since the 2018 Italian Open, to take a two-shot lead into the weekend over a chasing group including overnight leader Joost Luiten.
Jimenez birdied three of his opening four holes and three of the final four on the front nine after dropping a shot at the par-four fifth.
Further gains followed on the 10th, 11th and 13th holes, and the frustration of back-to-back bogeys was eased when he gained a further stroke on the par-three 18th with a superb approach.
After spending a four-month break in the Dominican Republic while the coronavirus pandemic kept the Tour on hold, Jimenez was delighted to be back and on form as he targets a title that would see him break his own record as the oldest winner in European Tour history.
10 birdies and Miguel is the solo leader heading into the weekend @Workday #AustrianOpen
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 10, 2020
"I'm playing very well," he said on Friday. "It feels great. Four months without competing, it's nice getting back into a tournament and feeling the tension again. I'm hitting it well and making some putts, not too many bogeys – that's the key. I enjoyed myself. My irons were working very well.
"I was excited to get back. I miss the competition. I can't remember the last time I had a four-month holiday."
Luiten went to nine under for the tournament to claim a share of second with Marc Warren, Craig Howie, Renato Paratore and Nicolai Von Dellingshausen.