Matthew Fitzpatrick gave his Ryder Cup hopes a boost as he fired a second consecutive 69 to take a share of the clubhouse lead on day two of the D+D REAL Czech Masters.
It was tight at the top at Albatross Golf Resort with four players sharing the clubhouse lead at six under midway through the second round but - with Fitzpatrick currently holding the final qualifying spot for Darren Clarke's Team to face the United States at Hazeltine in September - many eyes were on the Englishman.
Countrymen David Howell and Tommy Fleetwood both shot rounds of 68 to join him at the summit along with Swede Robert Karlsson, while defending champion Thomas Pieters, Peter Hanson and Jeff Winther were also six under in the early stages of their second rounds.
Ryder Cup qualifying ends next week at the Made in Denmark and while Fitzpatrick is due to tee it up in Farsø, he has spoken of his desire to get the job done this week.
He began his round on the back nine and after turning in 35 with a birdie on the 16th, further gains on the first and second put him into the lead. A bogey on the next slipped him back but he had the lead again when he rolled in a ten-footer on the sixth - although he would soon be caught.
Fleetwood also turned in 35 after starting on the tenth with birdies on the first and second and while a birdie and a bogey followed, he made an impressive 20-footer on the ninth to grab a share of top spot.
Howell got off to a blistering start with birdies on the tenth, 11th and 12th and although he dropped a shot on the first, he too managed a hot finish with birdies on the seventh and ninth.
Karlsson was recently overtaken as the most successful Swede in European Tour history when Henrik Stenson won his 12th title at The Open Championship but the 2008 Harry Vardon Trophy winner is in a good position to join him at that mark.
The 46 year old, also starting on the tenth, turned in 37 with a double-bogey on the 17th but fought back with birdies on the fourth, seventh and ninth in a 70.
Dane Winther made a birdie-birdie start to join the leaders, with Belgian Pieters making a birdie on the fourth and Swede Hanson a gain on the second.
Englishman Richard McEvoy and American Daniel Im both shared the low round of the day with 67s to get to five under, alongside overnight leader Ryan Evans who fired a 73.
Swede Oscar Stark, Australia's Daniel Gaunt and English duo Laurie Canter and Graeme Storm were in the clubhouse at four under, with 52 players in red numbers and within five shots of the lead.
