Sergio Garcia created a beginning to get within two shots of this early lead to Amsterdam.
The Masters champion posted four birdies in a blemish-free 68 to sit at the group on four under and two strokes back from leader Callum Shinkwin.
Garcia, trying to combine with the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal as champions of this event, started on the back nine started with birdies on his way to reaching the turn in 34.
Also top the leaderboard and the 15-time European Tour winner holed a 30-footer at the par-four initially and rolled at a 15-footer at the eighth to close the gap on Shinkwin, who birdied two of his final three holes to place a 66.
“Requirements got a tiny bit trickier within the last seven or six holes, so I was quite happy with this,” Garcia said. “I’ll continue working hard like I have been doing and hopefully I will have a chance this weekend”
Shinkwin, 126th at the Race to Dubai, reached the turn in 32 courtesy of three birdies, the eagle and one lost shot before posting two more birdies on a blemish-free back nine to grab top spot.
English trio Chris Paisley, Sam Horsfield and Matthew Southgate sit a shot off the pace on five under alongside Scotland’s Marc Warren, Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard along with Malaysia’s Gavin Green, together using one-time leader James Morrison in the group two off the rate with Garcia.
While Patrick Reed posted a 72 defending champion Wu Ashun is beneath alongside house favorite Joost Luiten, that recovered from being three-over-par at the flip to get within three of the guide.
View the KLM Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage proceeds on Friday from 10.30am via the red button on Sky Sports Golf.
Read more here: http://shouhi.web-across.com/?p=53548