Sam Murphy Takes the Lead with a Bogey-Free 65

Egypt, February 18, 2026 – The leaderboard shifted significantly during the second round of the 2026 Ein Bay Open at Sokhna Golf Club. While the early starters enjoyed calm conditions, the wind strengthened around midday, making the course play significantly tougher.

Starting from the 11th tee in the morning wave, Ireland’s Sam Murphy, a graduate of the 2025 Q-School, made a sensational start with seven birdies in his opening eleven holes. He then played steady, controlled golf over the remaining holes, signing for an impressive bogey-free 65 (-7) to move into the outright lead.

Full leaderboard 

Murphy holds a two-shot advantage over France’s Alexandre Vandermoten and fellow Irishman Robert Moran, who posted a strong 67 (-5) despite facing tougher conditions in the afternoon wave. Moran was one of the few players in the afternoon to record a score under par.

For tomorrow’s final round, play will begin at 8:00 a.m. from the 1st and 11th tees. At the conclusion of the third round, the winner will receive €6,200 and 6,525 Order of Merit points. In the event of a tie, a playoff will determine the champion.

Round 2 Player Quotes 

Sam Murphy : I got off to a good start and knew the conditions would get tougher coming in, especially with the wind picking up over the last few holes. I tried to take advantage early and just play solid golf. I hit 18 greens and missed only a couple of fairways, so it was a really solid round. It never really felt like I was going to make a bogey. I struck the ball well, and even on the greens. I felt comfortable. It was a pretty stress-free round, which was nice. I’ll stick with the same game plan I’ve had all week. Hopefully the wind settles down tomorrow but it’ll be the same approach: play aggressive when I can and conservative when I have to.

Tournament Sponsors

The 2026 Ein Bay Open and the 2026 Red Sea Little Venice Open are supported by Sokhna Golf Club, the Egyptian Golf Federation, Elano, Hechter Paris, Holibees, Mercedes, and TPC – Touristic Promotion Company.

Photo : Alps Tour – 3MIND – Raffaele Canepa

Alps Tour Media Contact- Nathan Cardet : [email protected]

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