Gary Hurley blasted eight birdies in a seven-under-par 65 to move to within two shots of the leaders in the D+D REAL Czech Challenge.

The 24-year-old from West Waterford equalled the second-lowest round of his European Challenge Tour career at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora in Drítec and at 10-under par, he's tied for fourth.
 
Tapio Pulkkanen and Julian Suri, two of the form players on the 2017 Road to Oman, also shot 65s to share the halfway lead on 12 under par.

Near-perfect scoring conditions at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora made for a feast of birdies on Day Two, with Pulkkanen making seven in a bogey-free round and Suri mixing one dropped shot with eight gains as they both improved on their opening 67s.

Suri spoke before the tournament of the confidence he had found in his game and the American, currently second in the Road to Oman Rankings admitted he was inspired by in-form playing partner Hurley.

“It always helps to play with others who are going well,” he said. “Gary got off to a great start, I got off to a good start and it’s definitely nice to see other people making birdies, it spurs me on for sure because I don’t want to get beaten by Gary, or by anyone – as it is we were having long driving contests on every hole!

“The quality of golf was good and that always helps. I feel like I perform the best when there is somebody pushing me on, or if there’s people watching or if there’s cameras I get a bit more motivated for sure – I don’t shy away from the attention at all, I welcome the challenge, I get pumped up and I enjoy it.”

Spain's Scott Fernandez is third on 11 under with Hurley in a three-way tie for fourth with England's Liam Robinson and Frenchman Thomas Linard.

Ranked 48th in the Road to Oman standings, Hurley made three birdies and a bogey to turn in two under 34, then came home in 31 with birdies at the 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th.

He's not the only Irishman going well.

Michael Hoey is tied for ninth on eight under after as second successive 68 with Gavin Moynihan backing up his runner-up finish in Spain last week by making the cut comfortably on five-under after rounds of 71 and 69.

Waterford man Kevin Phelan also showed signs of form with rounds of 70 and 71.

Cormac Sharvin (70-72) missed the cut by one on two-under while Stephen Grant's 72 meant little after his opening 78.

Scores after round 2:

Detailed scores

132 T Pulkkanen (Fin) 67 65, J Suri (USA) 67 65, 

133 S Fernandez (Esp) 68 65, 

134 L Robinson (Eng) 67 67, Gary Hurley (Irl) 69 65, T Linard (Fra) 65 69, 

135 A Zemmer (Ita) 71 64, V Perez (Fra) 70 65, 

136 O Farr (Wal) 71 65, J Guerrier (Fra) 68 68, B Eccles (Aus) 68 68, Michael Hoey (Nir) 68 68, P Whiteford (Sco) 72 64, 

137 R Enoch (Wal) 70 67, E Goya (Arg) 72 65, C Blomstrand (Swe) 68 69, M Fenasse (Fra) 70 67, O Lengden (Swe) 64 73, C Doak (Sco) 69 68, 

138 N Geyger (Chi) 68 70, J Vecchi Fossa (Ita) 71 67, O Suhr (Den) 72 66, B Virto (Esp) 70 68, P Maddy (Eng) 68 70, M Galiano Aguilar (Esp) 71 67, 

139 N Lindstrom (Swe) 68 71, R Saxton (Ned) 72 67, R Santos (Por) 70 69, C Mivis (Bel) 70 69, J Zunic (Aus) 70 69, D Gaunt (Aus) 70 69, E Johansen (Nor) 70 69, J Senior (Eng) 69 70, R Davies (Wal) 71 68, M Madsen (Den) 70 69, J McLeary (Sco) 76 63, C Braeunig (Ger) 70 69, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 68, 

140 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 68 72, N Cullen (Aus) 70 70, P Eriksson (Swe) 71 69, J Cafourek (Cze) 68 72, M Kinhult (Swe) 70 70, O Rozner (Fra) 70 70, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 68 72, M Baldwin (Eng) 70 70, A Meronk (Pol) 72 68, P Tarver-Jones (Eng) 71 69, Gavin Moynihan (Irl) 71 69, C Bull (Eng) 69 71, 

141 J Doherty (Sco) 73 68, M Schneider (Ger) 71 70, M Ford (Eng) 75 66, Kevin Phelan (Irl) 70 71, D Dixon (Eng) 73 68, C Koepka (USA) 71 70, A Rai (Eng) 72 69, B Neil (Sco) 71 70, O Wilson (Eng) 72 69, D Foos (Ger) 72 69, R Kellett (Sco) 71 70, J Lando Casanova (Fra) 70 71, 

CUT

142 J Barnes (Eng) 70 72, J Kunzenbacher (Ger) 70 72, R McGowan (Eng) 70 72, A Pavan (Ita) 70 72, Cormac Sharvin (Nir) 70 72, E Di Nitto (Ita) 69 73, S Benson (Eng) 71 71, G Watremez (Bel) 71 71, B Rusch (Sui) 71 71, S Heisele (Ger) 71 71, T Santos Silva (Por) 73 69, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 73 69, M Trappel (Aut) 73 69, C Sordet (Fra) 69 73, Š Zach (am) (Cze) 69 73, 

143 J Hansen (Den) 72 71, G Porteous (Eng) 74 69, A Velasco (Esp) 74 69, J Girrbach (Sui) 73 70, M Laskey (Wal) 71 72, D Suchan (Cze) 72 71, C Del Moral (Esp) 72 71, J Thomson (Eng) 69 74, R McCarthy (Aus) 72 71, S Brown (Eng) 72 71, M Lampert (Ger) 71 72, 

144 O Lieser (Cze) 73 71, J McDonald (Sco) 73 71, M Ovesen (Den) 69 75, B Åkesson (Swe) 72 72, G Forrest (Sco) 71 73, J Carlota (Por) 75 69, I Cantero Gutierrez (Esp) 73 71, L Vaisanen (Fin) 74 70, N Johansson (Swe) 69 75, R Echenique (Arg) 73 71, O Lindell (Fin) 74 70, J Zuska (am) (Cze) 72 72,

145 T Shadbolt (Eng) 74 71, B Hellgren (Swe) 76 69, J Dean (Eng) 73 72, L Sbarigia (Ita) 72 73, C Berardo (Fra) 74 71, S Hutsby (Eng) 72 73, S Connor (Eng) 76 69, S Hodgson (Eng) 76 69, M Kramer (Ger) 75 70, P Dedek (Cze) 73 72, M Lafeber (Ned) 72 73, C Griffiths (Eng) 73 72, F Mruzek (Cze) 74 71, P Valasek (Svk) 73 72, C Ford (Eng) 74 71, R Evans (Eng) 76 69, D Van Driel (Ned) 74 71, 

146 J Sarasti (Esp) 74 72, M Pastor (Esp) 78 68, K Johannessen (Nor) 73 73, S Jeppesen (Swe) 71 75, F Daux (Fra) 72 74, G Migliozzi (Ita) 76 70, M Brezovsky (am) (Svk) 74 72, 

147 A Turner (Eng) 74 73, F Praegant (Aut) 76 71, T Lawrence (RSA) 73 74, H Casey (Eng) 76 71, R Hjelm (Den) 75 72, N Schellong (am) (Cze) 75 72, 

148 A Altuntas (Tur) 74 74, F Maccario (Ita) 73 75, 

149 C Lawrie (Sco) 76 73, A Wennstam (Swe) 74 75, J Osorio Valencia (Esp) 77 72, P Gal (Cze) 74 75, V Riu (Fra) 73 76, N Ravano (Ita) 74 75, L Galliano (Sui) 79 70, S Piaget (Mon) 81 68, R Kumpost (am) (Cze) 76 73, 

150 L Tintera (Cze) 75 75, P Howard (Eng) 76 74, Stephen Grant (Irl) 78 72, 

151 J Bower (Eng) 78 73, P Mejow (Ger) 77 74, M Zapletal (am) (Cze) 77 74, 

152 A Schwartz (Fra) 74 78, A Korinek (Cze) 75 77, 

154 T Murray (Eng) 77 77, J Wrisdale (Eng) 81 73, J Allan (Eng) 79 75, 

155 R Gruber (Aut) 81 74, 

156 K Eriksson (Swe) 77 79, 

158 J Friesz (Svk) 74 84, 

159 E Kemaloglu (Tur) 83 76