Hangzhou, China: Taichi Kho fired a stunning 12-under-par 60 to streak clear of the field at the half-way stage of the men’s tournament at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

The Hong Kong, China star snared 10 birdies and an eagle at the Westlake International Golf Club, the finest round in Asian Games golfing history.

With a 36-hole total of 22-under 122, Kho will head into Saturday’s penultimate round with a six-stroke lead from Korean amateur Jang Yu-bin and Chinese Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao.

First-round leader Jang followed his opening 61 with a 67 that included a double-bogey six at 11 and a bogey on 18.

The 31-year-old Hung, who appeared in the 2010 Asiad, carded a bogey-free 63 to go with his first-day 65.

Thai Atiruj Winaicharoenchai, China’s Chen Guxin and Korean amateur Cho Woo-young are tied for fourth on 130.

Also moving into contention were PGA Tour stars Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo. Im is joint seventh on 131 with Japan’s Taichiro Ideriha while Kim is alongside Indian Anirban Lahiri in equal ninth on 132.

But the day belonged to Kho, who created history in March when he won the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club, becoming the first player from Hong Kong, China to win an Asian Tour event.

Thanks to Kho’s momentous display on Friday, Hong Kong, China moved into second place in the team competition. With the best three scores every day from each four-man team being counted, Hong Kong, China’s aggregate of 394 is six behind pace-setting Korea.

Japan is third on 398 followed by Thailand (401), Chinese Taipei (402), China and India (405), Singapore (407), Philippines (416) and Vietnam (422).

Leading Second-Round Scores, Individual

122 – Taichi Kho (Hong Kong, China) 62-60
128 – Jang Yubin (Korea) 61-67; Hung Chien-yao (Chinese Taipei) 65-63
130 – Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (Thailand) 67-63; Cho Woo-young (Korea) 63-67; Chen Guxin (China) 63-67
131 – Im Sung-jae (Korea) 66-65; Taichiro Ideriha (Japan) 65-66
132 – Anirban Lahiri (India) 65-67; Kim Si-woo (Korea) 66-66

Full Second-Round Scores, Teams

388 – Korea (190-198)
394 – Hong Kong, China (200-194)
398 – Japan (195-203)
401 – Thailand (197-204)
402 – Chinese Taipei (203-199)
405 – China (201-204); India (200-205)
407 – Singapore (194-213)
416 – Philippines (207-209)
422 – Vietnam (209-213)
425 – Macau (208-217)
429 – Nepal (213-216)
431 – Sri Lanka (213-218)
435 – Saudi Arabia (222-213)
440 –Laos (222-218)
445 – Qatar (219-226)
452 – Pakistan (226-226)
476 – United Arab Emirates (237-239)
481 – Kazakhstan (237-244)
513 – Mongolia (261-252)