Steve Webster posted an impressive 70 in windy conditions to set the clubhouse target on day two of the Made In Denmark.
The Englishman had to be persuaded to come to Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort by his father after his grandmother had a fall last week and he admitted that golf was not at the forefront of his mind after posting an opening 64 on Thursday.
Blustery conditions in Farsø meant it would be incredibly difficult to recreate that type of score but a one under round moved him to eight under, a shot clear of Frenchman Benjamin Hebert and local favourite Joachim B Hansen who were playing the front nine.
Another Dane in Lasse Jensen was then in the clubhouse at six under alongside later starters Wade Ormsby, David Lipsky and John Parry.
Lucas Bjerregaard was one of four players on course at five under, a shot clear of Stuart Manley, Thorbjørn Olesen, Aaron Rai, Matt Wallace and Pontus Widegren who were all in the clubhouse.
Webster played 22 events last season on a medical exemption but lost his card for the first time in 20 years, although he has made six cuts from eight events so far this season and is a two-time European Tour winner in his career.
The 42 year old began his second round with 11 straight pars before he broke that run with a birdie on the 12th but gave the shot straight back on the next. An impressive up-and-down from the sand on the 14th and a stunning approach to the 17th put him in control before a poor tee-shot led to a closing bogey.
Hebert was one under for his first seven holes while Hansen made an impressive start with birdies on the first and third.
Jensen was level par stood on the 15th tee after birdies on the fourth and tenth and bogeys on the ninth and 13th but produced a big finish. He made a gain on the 15th before putting his approach on the difficult 18th to five feet for a closing birdie.
American Lipsky and England's Parry were one under for the day after six and four holes respectively, while Australian Ormsby dropped a single shot in his first three holes.
Dane Bjerregaard was level par after six holes with Frenchmen Grégory Havret and Matthieu Pavon, and Spaniard Nacho Elvira all also five under for the week.
Pavon was level for the day after ten holes, Havret picked up two shots in his first seven and Elvira was one under after three.
Welshman Manley mastered the blustery conditions early in the day with gains on the first, fourth, seventh, eighth and tenth. He dropped a first shot of the day on the 11th but bounced back with birdies on the 12th and 13th before a poor tee-shot led to a bogey on the 94-yard 16th, which was followed by another on the next.
Local favourite Olesen turned in 36 but bogeys on the tenth and 13th saw him slip back before he roared back into contention and delighted the home crowd with birdies on the 14th and 17th.
Englishman Wallace had entered the day in a share of the lead but made a double-bogey on the 12th and triple on the fourth en route to a 74 while countryman Rai made three birdies and a single bogey in his 69.
Swede Widegren signed for a 70 with four birdies and three bogeys, with 2015 champion David Horsey and Ryder Cup star Victor Dubuisson among a large group of players on course at four under.
