Adrian Meronk pulls three ahead at Alfred Dunhill Championship

Adrian Meronk moved a big step closer to becoming the first Polish winner on the European Tour after opening up a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The overnight co-leader, who has missed the cut in each of his last three starts, followed his opening-round 65 with a six-under 66 in another impressive performance at Leopard Creek Country Club.

Meronk heads into the weekend on 13 under and with a commanding advantage over last week's Joburg Open winner Joachim B Hansen and England's Richard Bland, with Robin Roussel a further two strokes back in tied-fourth alongside Jayden Schaper.

The world No 261 birdied his opening two holes and picked up another shot at the fifth, before bouncing back from a bogey at the ninth to post back-to-back gains from the 10th and move one ahead.

Meronk struck a brilliant approach to set up a five-foot eagle at the par-five 13th and added another birdie at the 16th to briefly go four clear, only to see his lead reduced with a bogey at the par-five last.

Hansen, looking to become the first player since Justin Rose in 2017 to win back-to-back European Tour events, had earlier set the clubhouse target after an eagle and eight birdies helped him on his way to an eight-under 64.

The Dane opened with back-to-back birdies and cancelled out a bogey at the next by playing his next three holes in four under, helping him reach the turn in 32, with three birdies over his last four holes seeing him get to 10 under.

Bland recovered from an opening-hole bogey to card a second successive 67, while overnight co-leader Roussel was unable to replicate his birdie barrage from the opening day as he signed for a 71.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout - the highest-ranked player in the field, sits in the group tied-sixth that includes Adri Arnaus and Scotland's Scott Jamieson, with defending champion Pablo Larrazabal birdieing five of his last six holes to make it through to the weekend on one under.

Watch the Alfred Dunhill Championship throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 10am on Sky Sports Golf.