Oliver Bekker stayed right in contention on Friday with a two-under-par 69 in the second round of the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open in Antwerp, Belgium.

His five birdies and three bogeys took him to six-under-par for the tournament and a share of sixth, two shots off the lead. As there was in the first round, there was a three-way share of the lead, this time between Matti Schmid of Germany, and England’s Sam Horsfield and Dale Whitnell. Ricardo Santos of Portugal and Englishman Richard Mansell were one shot off the lead on seven-under.

Bekker started his round on the 10^th, and dropped a shot right out of the gate. But he made up for that with birdies on 15 and 17. He dropped again right after the turn on the first, and again on his last hole of the day, the ninth. But he made birdies on five, seven and eight.

JC Ritchie had one of the rounds of the day with his six-under-par 65 boost him to a share of 15^th on five-under for the tournament. He reeled off three birdies in a row from the second hole to get his round going, before dropping a shot on the ninth. He made four birdies in a row from the 10^th, but dropped again on the 15^th. He made up for that with a birdie on 17.

Hennie du Plessis was also on five-under after a second-round two-under 69, while Thriston Lawrence was on one-under after his one-under 70 put him in a share of 53^rd.

George Coetzee, Zander Lombard, Brandon Stone, Bryce Easton, Louis de Jager, Wilco Nienaber and Haydn Porteous missed the cut.