Hampshire golf star Sam Hutsby is chasing a first ever Challenge Tour win, after a stunning second round saw him storm to the top of the leaderboard in the Kazakhstan Open.

The Liphook player produced a nine-under-par effort at Zhailjau Golf Resort this morning, taking him to 13-under for the tournament and giving him a commanding five-shot lead.

Hutsby, who has been in good form lately, is hoping to earn a place back on the European Tour next year, and victory this weekend would almost certainly ensure him a spot on the elite circuit.

The 25-year-old is currently 17th in the order of merit, requiring a top-15 placing at the end of the season to earn a European Tour card.

A win in Kazakhstan would add another €72,000 to his earnings this year, which stand at €50,779 right now.

After his second round, Hutsby told the European Tour website: "I’ve just got a new driver in the bag, which I got fitted for last week, so I’ve been driving it really well.

"I played here in 2009 and it was a lot wider back then, so you have to make sure you’re on the fairways this week, which is what I’ve been doing. I’ve also got a new putter in the bag too, and it was just one of those days today where I felt really comfortable over it, which I haven’t had recently.

"It has been a pretty consistent year, with my only faults really coming on the greens. There have been weeks where I’ve hit the ball really well and I felt I could have been much higher than finishing say 20th, or even missing the cut.

"That has been the missing link really, as when my iron play has been good I’ve not been able to capitalise, but the good results have come from taking more of those chances.

"The course is in really good shape, and the rough is pretty tough, which is good as it penalises wayward shots, so it would be nice to play like this over the weekend and hopefully have another good week.

"I’ve always found it quite hard to follow up a low round, so anything in the 60s tomorrow would be a good target, as I’ll be going out with the lead.

"It was just one of those days today when I holed everything I looked at and it is always hard to have two days like that in a row. It is just amazing what eight or nine hours sleep can do to you.

"I’m looking forward to the weekend though as I’ve been playing well, and it is a big week, so it would be good to have a good finish and set myself up for the rest of the year and chase down one of those top 15 spots."