Niall Kearney was eager to grasp the opportunity to make a name for himself on the European Tour after opening up a two shot lead heading into the weekend at the 2021 BMW International Open.
The Irishman does not currently have full playing privileges but last month recorded his first top ten at the Canary Islands Championship.
A trio of missed cuts followed but after two weeks off, Kearney fired rounds of 65 and 68 at Golfclub München Eichenried to get to 11 under, although he had a pair of potential Ryder Cup players hot on his heels.
World Number 14 Viktor Hovland and eight time European Tour winner Bernd Wiesberger were at nine under alongside Spaniard Jorge Campillo, Japan's Masahiro Kawamura and Frenchman Adrien Saddier, but Kearney was keeping his focus purely on his on himself.
"I just feel really fresh," he said. "I’ve been home the last couple of weeks. Plenty of time to rest, I was travelling quite a bit prior to that, playing. It was great to get home, recharge and get back out.
"It’s a great opportunity. This year has been great for me. I’m getting lots of starts in nice tournaments. I’ve got to try and take the opportunities as well. I got off to a decent start in Spain in the Canaries, I just need to march on from there."
Some 54 players had to return to complete their first rounds after storms on day one and Sam Horsfield birdied his remaining hole to take the lead at eight under, where he was joined by Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez, who made two birdies and a bogey in his last five.
Kearney had birdied the ninth upon the resumption to sit one back and when he started his second round, he made a move to the top of the leaderboard.
The 33-year-old left himself a tap-in at the fourth and then sandwiched birdies at the par five ninth and 11th with an approach to two feet at the tenth to get to 11 under.
Saddier had made four birdies in five holes as he finished his first round and he carried that momentum into round two to join Kearney at the summit.
He holed a five footer at the fourth, made a 25 foot eagle at the next and took advantage of the next two par fives before putting a tee shot to nine feet at the 12th.
This year has been great for me. I’m getting lots of starts in nice tournaments. I’ve got to try and take the opportunities as well
Bogeys at the 14th, 16th and 17th dropped him back before he made a closing birdie for a 69, a feat repeated by Kearney who put his second to eight feet after bogeying the 17th.
Wiesberger sandwiched a 20 foot putt at the 15th with birdies at the par five 11th and 18th before driving to the fringe at the fourth and making the most of the par five sixth to get to double figures.
He then three putted the seventh to fall back to nine under alongside Saddier and Kawamura after a 68.
Kawamura was level par for his round after birdies at the fourth and 11th were cancelled out by bogeys at the ninth and 12th.
An approach to eight feet at the 14th got him back into red figures before he made a two putt birdie on the last for a 70.
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Hovland was out in the afternoon and he looked like being the most likely man to catch Kearney as he recovered from a bogey on the second with seven birdies to get within one of the lead.
He took advantage of the first three par fives while also getting in tight on the fourth and fifth, holing a 25 footer on the eighth and putting an approach to six feet on the 13th.
Back to back bogeys then saw him fall back but he made a smart up-and-down on the 18th to move back into a share of second after a 67.
Campillo bookended a hat-trick of gains from the fourth with a pair of bogeys and then sandwiched a bogey on the 12th with birdies before holing a 55 footer on the 17th and making the most of the last in a 68.
Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal - a two time winner of this event - was at eight under alongside South African Shaun Norris, a shot clear of home favourite Martin Kaymer, fellow Major Champion Louis Oosthuizen, German amateur Matthias Schmid, Spaniards Garcia Rodriguez, Adrian Otaegui and Alvaro Quiros, Scot Calum Hill and English pair Matthew Jordan and Andy Sullivan.
