Alexander Knappe shot a three under par 68 to hold on a one shot lead at the halfway stage of the KMPG Trophy on the European Challenge Tour.
After taking charge with a nine under par 62 in round one at Cleydael Golf and Country Club, the German made the perfect start to his second round, making an eagle at the first.
The 27 year old, whose maiden win on Europe’s top developmental tour came in Switzerland last week, then went on to make two birdies to reach the turn in 32.
Going into the weekend the Paderborn native is 12 under par, one shot ahead of England’s Gary King, and he is confident he can reach the top spot in Aartselaar.
“I do think I can go on to win,” said Knappe, who has dropped just two shots in his opening 36 holes in the outskirts of Antwerp.
“I am still feeling good after winning last week and it is great to be in that position again. I am approaching this week as it comes as you always have to adjust to the moment. Every situation is new and you can’t hold on to what has happened a week ago.
“The first nine I played very soild and my game was under control. Then I just had one bad hole where I made a double bogey and after that I did struggle a little bit. But I kept the ball in play and I had one chance on 17 which I managed to convert and I was really happy with that.
“I think on this course your tee shot has to be very straight – they have to be on the fairway or you will struggle. You need to be in a position where you hit a driver then have a short club into the green. If you do that then you can really go low.”
Close behind Knappe is the 2016 Montecchia Open by Lyoness champion King, who carded a five under par 66 to reach eleven under par overall.
One of two players on ten under par is home favourite Thomas Detry, who has made a promising start in his first event as a professional.
“It has been a lot of fun over the past two days,” said Detry who was the World Amatuer Number Eight before joining the paid ranks.
“It is my first time playing with a tour caddie too which helped me a lot, and my game has been great after getting back from the United States.
“I have been treating this week as though it is a college event so I don’t have to change anything. I played my own game and I thought it worked pretty well.
“It is a course I know well and I actually won a national junior championship here. The only thing that is different is that they have switched the nines but that’s pretty much it.
“It is a pretty straight forward course – you have just got to hit your irons off the tee, hit it to the middle of the green and not force anything.”
William Harrold, who won the last time the Challenge Tour was at Cleydael Golf and Country Club in 2014, is well placed at eight under par after two rounds while the cut line was set at three under par in Aartselaar.
Scores after round two:
130 A Knappe (Ger) 62 68,
131 G King (Eng) 65 66,
132 T Detry (Bel) 66 66, N Geyger (Chi) 64 68,
133 P Maddy (Eng) 67 66, A Björk (Swe) 66 67, P Whiteford (Sco) 68 65,
134 O Farr (Wal) 70 64, C Sharvin (Nir) 66 68, J Stalter (Fra) 67 67, W Harrold (Eng) 69 65, A Pavan (Ita) 65 69, J Carlota (Por) 66 68, J Sarasti (Esp) 69 65, V Riu (Fra) 66 68, B Stow (Eng) 65 69,
135 J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 67 68, D Huizing (Ned) 65 70, A Velasco (Esp) 66 69, C Bouniol (Fra) 70 65, J Glennemo (Swe) 68 67, S Forsstrom (Swe) 69 66, A Karlsson (Swe) 67 68, R Kellett (Sco) 67 68, A Rai (Eng) 68 67, T Gornik (Slo) 68 67,
136 S Hutsby (Eng) 67 69, P Angles (Esp) 71 65, G Porteous (Eng) 69 67,
137 M Decottignies-Lafon (Fra) 67 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 70 67, M Tullo (Chi) 68 69, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 71 66, D Perrier (Fra) 69 68, S Heisele (Ger) 67 70, M Armitage (Eng) 71 66, D Løkke (Den) 69 68, F Calmels (Fra) 67 70, N Marsh (Eng) 68 69, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 69 68, D Foos (Ger) 70 67, M Lampert (Ger) 70 67,
138 C Koerbler (Aut) 68 70, S Tiley (Eng) 68 70, D Berna Manzanares (Esp) 68 70, A Chesters (Eng) 69 69, J Guerrier (Fra) 69 69, J Girrbach (Sui) 68 70, T Tree (Eng) 67 71, C Sutherland (Sco) 69 69, D Law (Sco) 70 68, B Paolini (USA) 68 70, L Gagli (Ita) 67 71,
139 M Rominger (Sui) 70 69, B Rusch (Sui) 70 69, J Dantorp (Swe) 71 68, P Shields (Sco) 69 70, S Jeppesen (Swe) 70 69, A Hartø (Den) 69 70, J Mullen (Eng) 70 69, J Barnes (Eng) 71 68, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 68, J Blaauw (RSA) 72 67, S Fernandez (Esp) 73 66, L Motta (Ita) 70 69, E Johansen (Nor) 69 70, K Samooja (Fin) 72 67, J Loughrey (Eng) 68 71, M Keskari (Ger) 69 70,
140 S Kim (USA) 69 71, H Joannes (Bel) 70 70, C Selfridge (Nir) 71 69, R Saxton (Ned) 70 70, M Wiegele (Aut) 71 69, O Lengden (Swe) 72 68, R Santos (Por) 67 73, A Perrino (Ita) 71 69, J Heath (Eng) 72 68, A Hortal (Esp) 67 73, N Quintarelli (Ita) 70 70, K Ulenaers (am) (Bel) 69 71,
141 M Lafeber (Ned) 68 73, R Enoch (Wal) 71 70, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 69 72, T Remkes (Ned) 71 70, E Cuartero Blanco (Esp) 69 72, D Van Driel (Ned) 69 72, R McGee (Irl) 70 71, C Russo (Fra) 72 69, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 70, O Bekker (RSA) 71 70, A De Bondt (am) (Bel) 72 69,
142 S Brown (Eng) 71 71, F Serghini (Mar) 73 69, F Becker (Ger) 67 75, A Joudar (Mar) 72 70, J Cafourek (Cze) 71 71, C Mivis (Bel) 74 68, L Buijs (Ned) 71 71, M Schneider (Ger) 72 70, C Feldborg Nielsen (Swe) 72 70, M Hocaoglu (Tur) 73 69, C Ford (Eng) 71 71, S Hodgson (Eng) 71 71, W Besseling (Ned) 72 70, D Wright (Eng) 66 76,
143 M Delpodio (Ita) 74 69, M Bremner (RSA) 75 68, A Rota (Ita) 72 71, C Arendell (USA) 70 73, T Murray (Eng) 76 67, C Gloet (Den) 73 70, T Pulkkanen (Fin) 74 69, D Jennevret (Swe) 70 73, G Weydts Caessens (am) (Bel) 73 70,
144 R Roussel (Fra) 75 69, M Simonsen (Den) 70 74, M Stewart (Sco) 70 74, D Ulrich (Sui) 74 70, S Piaget (Mon) 71 73, R Kind (Ned) 73 71, D Stewart (Sco) 74 70, P Figueiredo (Por) 72 72,
145 O Henningsson (Swe) 73 72, G Axell (Swe) 72 73, T Bakker (Fin) 70 75, A Bernadet (Fra) 70 75,
146 G Woolgar (Eng) 76 70, G Watremez (Bel) 75 71, S Fallon (Eng) 73 73, E Blom (Swe) 72 74, E Saltman (Sco) 72 74, J Wrisdale (Eng) 71 75, G Shaw (Nir) 73 73, P Relecom (Bel) 72 74, A Dumont De Chassart (am) (Bel) 71 75, A Capart (am) (Bel) 72 74,
147 K Johannessen (Nor) 79 68, B Robinson (Eng) 74 73, C Blomstrand (Swe) 75 72, E Kemaloglu (Tur) 73 74, M Nixon (Eng) 76 71, D Suchan (Cze) 79 68, D Coupland (Eng) 73 74, J Doherty (Sco) 74 73, K Hesbois (Bel) 77 70, A Tadini (Ita) 69 78,
148 D De Vooght (Bel) 74 74, C O’Neil (Sco) 73 75, S Einhaus (Ger) 70 78, P Widegren (Swe) 72 76, B Parker (Eng) 75 73, B Casey (Irl) 74 74,
153 Y Van Doren (am) (Bel) 75 78,
155 L Ruuska (Fin) 79 76,
166 S Cairns (Ger) 81 85,
