FARSO, Denmark (AFP) — Welshman Bradley Dredge stormed into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Made in Denmark event in Farso yesterday.

The 43-year-old carded a five-under-par second round of 66 to sit atop the leader board on 13 under overall, three strokes clear of Swede Joakim Lagergren.

Belgian Thomas Pieters, playing with European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke, continued his bid for a wildcard place for the matches that start at Hazeltine next month with a level-par 71 to stay well in contention.

Northern Irishman Clarke must have been impressed by Pieters’ excellent scrambling skills, which he displayed with a sensational greenside bunker shot on the 18th after an earlier chip-in for par.

The 24-year-old is tied for third with South African Richard Sterne on nine under par.

“I made some really good up-and-downs for par,” Pieters told the European Tour website.

“My ball-striking was off today, I think everything was off today. But I got it round in 71 which keeps your round going and I’m in a good position this weekend.”

Dredge had finished off his opening round with six birdies in seven holes on Thursday, and he continued that momentum by rolling in five birdies on the front nine to go out in 31.

A bogey on the par-four 13th stalled his charge momentarily, but a quick response on the 14th green saw the world number 105 reach the clubhouse in a strong position as he looks for a first European Tour title since 2006.

Dredge, who lost his tour card in 2012, was delighted to continue his return to form in a season that has seen him post three top-10 finishes before this week.

Lagergren, who led overnight alongside Pieters and Tom Lewis, secured his spot in the final group for Saturday’s third round with a one-under-par 70.

Englishman Lewis, who looked set to sign for the first ever 59 on the European Tour in the first round before a trio of late bogeys, mixed three birdies with four bogeys to go into the weekend five shots off the lead on eight under par.

The Republic of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, the highest-ranked player in the field at world number 32, shot a 65 to make the cut on two under and remind Clarke of his talents.

But Matthew Fitzpatrick, who holds the last automatic European Ryder Cup place, missed the cut by a single shot.