SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-13 B Barham (Eng) -11 R Green (Aus) -10 S Drummond (Sco) -9 P Edberg (Swe), M Foster (Eng), C Gaunt (Aus)
Selected others: -8 S Hansen (Den), D Horsey (Eng) Level N Dougherty (Eng) +1 JM Olazabal (Spa)

Barham posted a record equalling halfway total

England's Benn Barham extended his lead at the top of the Austrian Open leaderboard, firing a second-round 66 to end the day on 13-under-par overall.

Barham, 33, also equalled the lowest 36-hole total of the European Tour season with his halfway score of 129.

It saw him move two shots ahead of Richard Green with Scotland's Scott Drummond further behind on 10-under.

Welshman Bradley Dredge made the biggest move, recording a 64 to end on six-under, seven shots off the lead.

Dredge, who was runner-up at the European Masters on his last start two weeks ago, also shot seven successive birdies, one short of the Tour all-time record.

Sweden's Pelle Edberg enjoyed a fine round of 65 to see him move to within four shots of the lead and he was joined on nine under by Englishman Mark Foster and Australian Chris Gaunt.

Denmark's Soren Hansen - the only member of the world's top 50 in the field - and Englishman David Horsey are also in the mix on eight under.

Barham, who needs to climb 60 places from his present ranking of 175th to save his European Tour card, fired five birdies to help stretch his lead over the chasing pack.

"You never know what will happen in this game," he said. "I've been working with a new coach the last few weeks and it's just a case of letting it go."

But Jose Maria Olazabal and Nick Dougherty were among those to miss the halfway cut.

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