SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Xinjun Zhang continued his impressive play at the Dormie Network Classic at Briggs Ranch to take a two-shot lead into the weekend. Zhang followed his openinground 63 with an 8-under 64 on Friday.

The Shanxi, China native, picked up right where he left off, making birdies on each of his first three holes. He added an eagle on No. 5 and another birdie on No. 8 to post a front-nine 30. Zhang made three birdies on the back nine against one bogey and now leads by two at 17-under 127.

“The main thing was to stay patient and positive,” Zhang said. “The putter worked really well out there. I missed a couple of opportunities coming down the last few holes which all were pretty good looks. But the putter and the irons were really good today.”

Zhang, who is projected to take the top spot in The 25 after this week, previously earned his PGA TOUR card with a 20th-place finish on the 2017 Web.com Tour Regular Season money list. During his 2017 Web.com Tour campaign, Zhang recorded two runner-up finishes and added two additional top-10s to earn his PGA TOUR card.

In his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, Zhang recorded three top-25 finishes including a T5 at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship but admitted he struggled mentally. He failed to retain his PGA TOUR card after finishing No. 167 in the FedExCup but is back to playing some of his best golf this season.

“The biggest focus is the mental aspect of the game,” Zhang said. “On the PGA TOUR I was getting very anxious out on the course. Things were speeding up and I would be overly aggressive at times. Knowing when to play conservative and when to be aggressive has made a big difference for me.”

Alone in second place is 47-year-old Steven Alker who fired a second-round 64 to match the low round of the day at Briggs Ranch Golf Club. Alker, who began the day on the back nine, started his round with a barrage of birdies on Nos. 10-13 followed by an eagle on the par-4 14th. He added birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 5 against a bogey on No. 6 to finish 8-under on the day and 15-under 129 for the tournament.

“I’m hitting some close irons and putting well; that’s the difference,” Alker said. “I’m staying patient and when I miss it, I miss it in the right places. The short game’s been good, so you just have to go out there and go hard and make a lot of birdies.”

Alker currently sits at No. 49 in The 25 standings and has two top-25 finishes this season including a T4 at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay. The Web.com Tour veteran is making his 262nd career start this week and has four career victories with his last coming at the 2014 Cleveland Open.

“I’m still loving the game and I think that’s a good thing,” Alker said. “I think once I lose that grind, that’ll be it for me. But I’m still enjoying it and still trying to get better. I’m feeling pretty good and I’m as fit as I probably have been in a while.”

The former PGA TOUR member last played on TOUR during the 2016-17 season after earning his card through the 2016 Web.com Tour Finals. With a good finish this week, Alker could make a push at another PGA TOUR card.

University of Oklahoma alum Charlie Saxon is in solo-third place and four off the lead after finishing at 13-under 131. Kevin Dougherty, Lanto Griffin and Nelson Ledesma are T4, five shots behind leader Xinjun Zhang.