Second round leaderboard:
-7 P Hanson (Swe), F Widmark (Swe) -6 C Carranza (Arg), F Andersson Hed (Swe), N Colsaerts (Bel), P Lawrie (Ire) -5 S Hend (NZ), K Ferrie (Eng), A Wall (Eng), S Dyson (Eng), S Lowry (Ire), R Bland (Eng), T Goya (Arg) Selected others: -3 B Dredge (Wal), M A Jimenez (Spa) -1 R McGowan (Eng) Level O Wilson (Eng) +2 O Fisher (Eng), G Storm (Eng)

Hanson hopes to force his way into the Europe Ryder Cup team

Sweden's Peter Hanson maintained his charge for an automatic European Ryder Cup spot with a second-round 70 to take a joint lead at the Czech Open.

Hanson is now seven under overall and level with compatriot Fredrik Widmark, who carded 67 on Friday.

Irishman Peter Lawrie is in contention after a second-round 68 left him joint-third with three others on six under.

Victory in Celadna on Sunday would move Hanson to eighth in the European points list for the Ryder Cup.

Hanson is not the only European player hoping to capitalise on the decision of Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald - all of whom were better placed to qualify for the Ryder Cup - not to play in the Czech Open or next week's Johnnie Walker Championship.

606: DEBATE Would you like to see Hanson qualify?

Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, eighth on the list, followed up his first-round 71 with a 70 to go three under for the tournament, while Englishman Simon Dyson improved on his opening-round 70 with a 69 to leave him five under and sustaining his own push for automatic qualification.

Englishmen Ross McGowan (71) and Oliver Wilson (72) are one under and level par overall respectively.

But Hanson, who received a late invitation to the Prosper Resort after reviving his Cup bid with an eighth-place finish at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational two weeks ago, remains in the box seat to force his way into Colin Montgomerie's team for Celtic Manor.

Hanson, currently 15th in the European points list for the Ryder Cup, started his round on the 10th and carded four birdies.

However, his round also contained two bogeys and a number of missed putts - most notably a five-foot effort on his final hole, the ninth.

"I left four or five shots out there - I felt I could go really low," said Hanson. "I struck the ball very nicely again, but didn't make as many putts.

"But it was a good day and I am feeling good about my game. The last two weeks my form has been getting better and better and it's all about making those putts."

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