Australia's Scott Hend is in pole position to go one better than last year after taking the halfway lead in the Omega European Masters.
Hend, who in 2016 lost a playoff to Sweden's Alex Noren at Crans-sur-Sierre, carded an eagle and five birdies in a second round of 63 to finish at 13-under-par, a shot ahead of South Africa's Darren Fichardt.
"It would be nice to putt a little bit better but when you walk off with 63 it's fantastic," Hend, whose children and their nanny are set to evacuate their Florida home to avoid the possible landfall of Hurricane Irma, told Sky Sports.
"I feel like I've been playing really well for the last four months and really wanted to get in the Presidents Cup team.
"I didn't quite make it there which was a bit of a disappointment and I feel like I have a point to prove to myself that I'm good enough to mix it with those boys."
Fichardt recorded four birdies and an eagle in a 64 which left him three strokes ahead of Thongchai Jaidee and Australia's Todd Sinnott and Fabrizio Zanotti, with England's Matthew Fitzpatrick alongside New Zealander Ryan Fox and America's Julian Suri on eight-under following a 65.
Defending champion Noren is at three-under after a 67, while the same score ensured Lee Westwood made the halfway cut in his 500th European Tour start on two-under.
Other Australian's to join Hend and Sinnott at the weekend include Marcus Fraser (two-under), Nathan Holman and Jason Scrivener, who are both one-under, and Brett Rumford and Sam Brazel at even par.
Big names to miss the cut included Italy's Edoardo Molinari and England's Tommy Fleetwood and Chris Wood.
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