Alexander George Frances posted a second successive 68 to lead the Copenhagen Challenge presented by Ejner Hessel at the halfway stage.
The 26-year-old’s matching opening rounds saw him move to eight under and overtake South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, who had set the clubhouse target at seven under par earlier on day two, taking a one-shot lead into the weekend.
The Dane is playing in only his second European Challenge Tour tournament – his first since the 2018 Made in Denmark Challenge – but showed no signs of nerves at Royal Golf Club.
“I’m very pleased,” he said. “I play on the Nordic Golf League and got a wildcard to play here this week and I’m really enjoying it.
“I had a missed cut in Sweden and then took a week off, so I’ve been practicing out here for a week prior to the tournament.”
Frances, who is playing his first season on the Nordic Golf League, is playing on an invite and has taken advantage, carding five birdies and only one dropped shot in his round of 68.
A bogey-free front nine with gains at the second, third, sixth and seventh holes saw him turn in 31. He began his back nine with four consecutive pars before a sixth birdie of the day at the 14th followed.
With his only dropped shot at the next hole and three pars coming in, Frances was delighted with his work and to hold the lead going into the weekend.
“I’m in play off the tee which has helped, and then I’m not doing any stupid mistakes, keeping the ball in front of me and rolling a few putts in.
“I had a couple of pars today, that shouldn’t have been pars, but I’ve grinded it out. They felt like birdies or even eagles, which I was really happy about.
“I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing, but we’re having fun out there and I’ll see where that gets me.”
Overnight leader Julian Suri shot a bogey-free 70 to join Jarvis at seven under par, one stroke behind the Dane. The pair were joined late in the day by Finland’s Matias Honkala, who carded a five under par 67 to climb up the leaderboard.
Four-time DP World Tour winner Matteo Manassero lies in fifth place at five under par after a round of 64, the lowest round of the week, while a group of five players are two shots back in a share of sixth.
The third round begins at 7:15am local time with Frances teeing off at 11:30am.
