Shubhankar Sharma tied-third after two rounds at Acciona Open de Espana

Shubhankar plays one of his best rounds of the season, carding a seven-under 64, to move to the top three in the leaderboard after two rounds.

Shubhankar Sharma is two shots behind Wil Besseling and one shot behind Jon Rahm. - GETTY IMAGES

India's Shubhankar Sharma played one of his best rounds of the season to force his way into contention at the halfway stage of the Acciona Open de España.

Shubhankar followed up his first-round 67 with a seven-under 64 that sparkled even more with two eagles, one each on Par-5 and Par-4.

The two-time European Tour winner is now 11-under and tied for third place. He is just two shots behind leader Wil Besseling and one behind World No. 1 Jon Rahm.

Shubhankar's best card this season has been eight-under 63 on the final day of the Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale in July.

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In the second round this week, Sharma was in blistering form despite a bogey start. He birdied third, eagled the Par-5 third but dropped a shot again on fourth. Calming himself with pars on the remaining four holes on the front nine, he was one-under for the first nine.

Then he exploded with birdies at 10th, 12th and 14th and 17th, before holing his second shot for a second eagle in the round. That gave him a 64 and a shot at the Acciona Open de Espana.

Shubhankar has been finding his feet slowly but steadily this season and has three Top-10s at Made in Himmerland, Cazoo Classic, and BMW PGA, and two other finishes in Top-16 in Italian Open and Hero Open.

 

"The game has been coming back and I am feeling way more confident than I did at the start of the season," Shubhankar.

Leader Besseling was bogey-free for 36 holes as he led the way into the weekend. Rahm was just one shot back in the Spanish capital.

The Dutchman followed an opening 64 with a 65 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid to get to 13-under and he will face the biggest day of his career in the final group on Day Three.

Rahm carded a 67 as he looked for a third consecutive win at his home open. With the weekend entirely sold out, the leading duo will take a bumper crowd round with them in the Spanish sun.

Another home favourite Adri Arnaus and England's Ross McGowan were at 11-under alongside Shubhankar. Yet another Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello, Frenchman Julien Guerrier, and Scotland's Grant Forrest were at 10-under.