James Morrison capitalised on favourable Friday morning conditions to claim the clubhouse lead during the second round of the KLM Open.
The Englishman was the only player to successfully navigate his way through strong winds on Thursday afternoon to sit two shots behind overnight leader Callum Shinkwin at four under par.
Morrison has not been in the winner’s enclosure since the 2015 Open de España but has produced some of his best form this season in recent weeks, finishing in the top 30 in three of his last four events.
And he continued that upward trend with a superb 67 to top the leaderboard at nine under par at The International.
Belgian Thomas Pieters, Swede Joakim Lagergren, Wales’ Bradley Dredge, Englishman Steven Brown, Frenchman Antoine Rozier and one time joint leader Maximilian Kieffer were in the clubhouse two shots further back, but Shinkwin was alone at eight under after five holes of his second round.
Pieters is a former winner in the Netherlands, claiming victory in this event at Kennemer Golf & Country Club in 2015, and surged into contention after an eagle, five birdies and a bogey during his second round.
“I think I hit 100 per cent more fairways than yesterday so that was key for me today,” Pieters said.
“I got to place my ball a couple of times and I’ve been getting up and down from pretty much anywhere which is helpful.
“I think it definitely played easier this morning with less wind. This wind favours the course - there’s a lot more holes playing straight down wind, whereas yesterday was more sideways which makes it really tough.
“So hopefully the wind stays out a little bit and makes it a bit fairer for yesterday, but we will see.”
However, it was Morrison who made the first move with back to back birdies at the 11th and 12th to join Shinkwin at six under, and Kurt Kitayama who reached that mark with a crazy card of an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys through 13 holes.
Morrison jumped ahead on his own with a terrific chip in eagle at the 15th to edge two shots clear of the chasing pack.
Kieffer reduced the deficit to one with four birdies from his opening nine holes - at the 11th, 15th, 16th and 18th - and when Morrison made a hash of a chip at the 17th, the pair were joint leaders at seven under.
Morrison regained breathing space with his second eagle in four holes, draining a long putt after getting on the par five 18th in two thanks to a superb three wood approach to go two shots clear.
Pieters joined Kieffer in pursuit at seven under after a fine birdie at the eighth, but Morrison moved three shots clear with a gain of his own at the second to be the first player to reach double figures this week.
However, by the end of the next hole, Kieffer was back alongside the Englishman when he tapped in for a birdie after narrowly missing a monster eagle putt at the third, while Morrison found water to card a double bogey at the same hole.
Kieffer bogeyed the seventh hole for the second time this week to hand Morrison sole lead and he took full advantage with a birdie at the sixth to move two clear once again.
Morrison improved his lead to ten under with a birdie at the eighth, only to hand the shot back at ninth - his last - to drop to nine under for the tournament.
Shinkwin made a fast start in the afternoon as he looked to regain his place at the top of the leaderboard, carding birdies at the 12th and 14th to move within one of his fellow Englishman.
Australian Jake McLeod and Dutch amateur Koen Kouwenaar finished at six under, with 18-year-old Dane Nicolai Højgaard at that mark after his first hole on Friday.
