Andy Sullivan goes 'ballistic' in shooting 9-under 63 for share of lead at Singapore Classic

SINGAPORE — Andy Sullivan made six birdies and an eagle in a stunning nine-hole stretch during his second round at the Singapore Classic to shoot 9-under 63 and take a share of the lead in the European tour event on Friday.

Sullivan was tied with fellow Englishman Richard Mansell (69) and Freddy Schott of Germany (69) on 9-under par for the tournament.

Coming off a level-par opening round, the 280th-ranked Sullivan was 1 under after his first eight holes — after starting at No. 10 — before making three straight birdies, an eagle at the par-5 third and then three more birdies in the next five holes.

“It was mental,” Sullivan said of his bogey-free round. “It was a really mundane start to the round, playing solid, then all of a sudden it just went ballistic.

“I’ve never had a round where it went mental for that amount of time.”

The last of Sullivan’s four European tour titles came in 2020 at the English Championship.

Neither the 169th-ranked Mansell nor the No. 504-ranked Schott have won an event on the tour.

The leading trio is one stroke ahead of five players: Paul Waring (69) and Sam Bairstow (68) of England, Matthieu Pavon (68) and Romain Langasque (67) of France, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat (72) of Thailand.

At No. 27, Pavon is the highest-ranked player in the field and won the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour in January after earning a card for the other side of the Atlantic for the first time last year.

Shane Lowry made the cut, which was at 1 under, but only after shooting 73 which left the former British Open champion on 2 under for the event.