Despite two bogeys on Friday, Hennie du Plessis kept himself right in contention with a second-round five-under-par 66 leaving him in a share of second in the DP World Tour’s acciona Open de España in Madrid.

Du Plessis also made seven birdies during his round, and, at 11-under-par at the halfway stage, he was just one behind the lead which was shared by Paul Waring of England, who signed for an eight-under 63, and Scottish veteran Stephen Gallacher, who had a six-under-par 65. With Du Plessis in second was another Scottish veteran, David Drysdale, who, like Du Plessis, is chasing his first DP World Tour title. Behind them in a share of fifth on 10-under were five other players, including Jon Rahm, the Spaniard chasing his third Open de España title.

Du Plessis started his round on the 10^th with a birdie, but followed that immediately with a bogey on 11. He picked up two more birdies on 14 and 15 ahead of the turn, and then made three more on four, six and seven before dropping on eight. He made up with that with a birdie on nine.

Next best of the South Africans were Zander Lombard and Louis de Jager on seven-under in a share of 16^th after rounds of five-under and seven-under respectively. Daniel van Tonder was on six-under in a share of 24^th after a three-under 68 which included a hole-in-one on the ninth and an eagle on the fourth.

Tristen Strydom overcame a double-bogey on the second to card a three-under 68 to be five-under in a share of 29^th, while Wilco Nienaber also had a second-round 68 to climb to two-under and a share of 54^th.

Darren Fichardt, Brandon Stone, Thomas Aiken, Thriston Lawrence and Haydn Porteous all missed the cut.