Tommy Fleetwood interrupts Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm interview in Italy

Tommy Fleetwood was relieved to see improvements in his game after moving up the leaderboard during the second round of the Italian Open.

The Race to Dubai leader was facing a battle to make the cut after a level-par 71 on Thursday, but is a safely through to the weekend after a five-under 66 at Golf Club Milano.

Fleetwood posted four birdies in a six-hole stretch to reach the turn in 31, before picking up another shot at the second and closing his blemish-free card with a run of pars.

"I putted well on the back nine, which is our front nine," Fleetwood told Sky Sports. "Yesterday I was poor, really didn't give myself very many chances at all and today was just a bit better.

"I wanted to make sure I was here at the weekend to have a chance to shoot one of the low scores that we know is out there."

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The Englishman was grouped alongside Spanish duo Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm for the first two days, the two players immediately below him in the Race to Dubai standings.

Garcia birdied the last to close a bogey-free 67 to get within four strokes of the lead, with Rahm a further two shots back after following Thursday's 67 with a three-under 68.

"Yesterday my ball-striking was really good, and much like Sergio, and I think it's just hard to make putts on tricky greens," Rahm said.

"I didn't make as many as I wished and today my ball-striking wasn't as good but my short game saved me. I made a lot of putts for par that kept me going.

"I wasn't thinking on Tommy (Fleetwood) being No. 1 on the Money List or Race to Dubai really. It's not what we have in mind; we're trying to hit the best shot we can at the moment."

Watch the Italian Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf and 3.15pm on Sky Sports Main Event.