Wu Ashun carded an impressive round of 66 to open up a three-shot clubhouse lead on day two of the KLM Open at The Dutch.

The Chinese opened with a bogey-free 64 on Thursday and while he dropped two shots in round two, an accompanying seven birdies moved him to 12 under ahead of England’s Jonathan Thomson.

Thomson recently lost out in a play-off at the Made in Denmark and he brought that form with him to Spijk as he matched the lowest nine-hole total of the season.

The 22-year-old made seven birdies after starting from the 10th to match Suttijet Kooratanapisan’s 28 from the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open before coming home in level par for a 64.

England’s Chris Wood birdied three of his first six holes in the afternoon to sit alongside Thomson.

Like Thomson, David Drysdale is battling to preserve his playing privileges for next season and the Scot carded a bogey-free 65 to sit at eight under.

South Korea’s Soomin Lee was then at seven under after birdieing four of his last five holes in a 67.

Wu is a two-time winner on the European Tour but needed the Access List to keep his card last season, and this is his best 36-hole score to par by three shots.

George Coetzee was the best placed Saffa after a second round 69 left him in a share of 22nd place with Haydn Porteous looking to match that tally late on Friday.

In-form European Tour rookie Erik van Rooyen bounced back from his opening 73 with a 66 that included a run of five birdies in a row as he approached the end of his second round.