Thorbjørn Olesen turned in 29 to surge up the leaderboard as day two of the Nordea Masters got under way at Hills Golf Club.
The Dane arrived in Sweden knowing that a continuation of his recent fine form could go a long way to securing his place on the Ryder Cup Team but he entered the second round six shots off the lead of Frenchman Clément Sordet.
Five birdies on the back nine had him within one at the turn as he became Sordet's closest challenger, with none of the other early starters able to catch the 25 year old on eight under.
Olesen's maiden Rolex Series win at the Italian Open prompted a run of five top 15s in eight starts as he aims to secure his Ryder Cup debut at Le Golf National.
Australians Adam Bland and Richard Green were six under alongside American Hunter Stewart and late starters Scott Jamieson and Lee Slattery.
Olesen birdied the 12th before a run of four in a row from the 15th catapulted him up the leaderboard.
Green made a birdie-birdie start but bogeyed the 13th in his first eight holes, while countryman Bland birdied the 11th and eagled the par four 12th in his first seven.
Stewart had completed four holes with a single birdie on the 12th.
Two-time Major winner Martin Kaymer and Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond were at five under having each picked up two shots in the morning so far.
England's Chris Hanson made the 27th hole-in-one of the season when he holed a nine iron from 163 yards on the fifth.
That only got him back to level for the day and two under for the week, however, after a roller coaster first five holes also containing a birdie, a bogey and a double.
