OLESEN IS KEEPING CONTROL OF HIS RYDER CUP DESTINY

SOUTH AFRICA’S Christiaan Bezuidenhout claimed the halfway lead in the Made in Denmark event as local favourite Thorbjorn Olesen narrowly kept his Ryder Cup destiny in his own hands.

Bezuidenhout’s 65 gave him a halfway total of 13 under par, two shots ahead of firstround leader Jonathan Thomson and Lee Westwood, with Sam Horsfield a further stroke back.

Olesen, though, occupies the final automatic Ryder Cup qualifying place and can make certain of a debut with a top-six finish, but he had to par the final three holes of his second round 69 simply to make the cut on two under.

England’s Eddie Pepperell (69) and Matt Fitzpatrick (68) need to win the event to have a chance of dislodging Olesen — and they head into the weekend eight and nine shots off the lead respectively.

Ryder Cup vice-captain Westwood, who matched Bezuidenhout’s 65, had some advice for his playing partners Olesen and Thomas Pieters, who shot 68, over the next two days.

‘I don’t think they should be worrying too much about the Ryder Cup — they should be concentrating on the Made in Denmark tournament and trying to do as well as they can,’ said the 45-year-old.

‘You can only focus on the job in hand. Then see what happens over the weekend and what happens when we sit down early next week.’

David Drysdale remains the leading Scot in Denmark after his second-round 70 left him seven shots off the lead.

Stephen Gallacher shot 69 and Richie Ramsay 71, but fellow Scots Marc Warren and Connor Syme missed the cut.