Henrik Stenson has provided more good news for Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain Nick Faldo by surging into contention at The KLM Open in Holland.
The Swede, who was four shots off the six under par lead overnight, is already safely in Faldo's Team after finishes of third and fourth at The Open Championship and US PGA Championship, but he has not won all season and his bid to change that saw him lead on eight under - six under for his second round - with three holes still to play.
Stenson leads alongside with compatriot Alexander Noren and Robert Rock, who had played 12 and 15 holes respectively, while Denmark's Ryder Cup hopeful Soren Hansen and England's John Bickerton were a stroke behind with holes to play.
Like Stenson, Rock resumed with three successive birdies at Kennemer, then had four more in five holes from the 11th. There was also a bogey in that run, however, to leave him six under for the day through 15 and eight under for the tournament.
Two strokes behind were overnight leader Rolf Muntz, New Zealand's former US Open Champion Michael Campbell.
After coming home in 30 for an opening 65 that left him only behind Muntz yesterday, Hansen set off again with a double bogey six on the 447 yard tenth.
But the quietly-spoken 34 year old, currently in the tenth and last automatic qualifying spot for Nick Faldo's side a mere €268 ahead of German Martin Kaymer, promptly birdied the next two holes and added others on the short third and fifth.
Kaymer's first task was to survive the halfway cut after starting with a two over 72 - it left him in a tie for 80th and only the top 60 qualify for the last two rounds - but he did far better than that to keep the Cup race fascinating with only one more week left.
He matched Stenson's back nine 30 and a birdie on the 419 yard fifth meant he was three under and up into a tie for 16th. Another birdie followed at the sixth, taking him to four under with three to play.
Justin Rose and Oliver Wilson, eighth and ninth on the Cup table and three under and one under respectively, were late starters, as was Muntz.
