Maverick Antcliff and Matthew Southgate both have designs on clinching a first European Tour title on Monday as they share the lead at five under par heading into the final day of the European Open in Hamburg.

Antcliff enjoyed a particularly impressive second round at the Green Eagle Golf Courses on Sunday as he shot a four-under 68, one better than Southgate, to haul himself into contention at the top.

Both men were understandably flowing with confidence afterwards, with Southgate suggesting his excellence off the tee has been decisive.

"The fairways are narrow for everyone and I've thought for a while that I'm one of the best drivers of the ball in the world, so [I'm] just trying to have positive thoughts, let it go, don't steer it from the tee and it's worked through 36 holes," Englishman Southgate told the European Tour.

"There's a lot of power players out here and when you play with guys who hit it 20-30 yards offline and they can get away with it, it's tough to compete, but when the rough is up and the bunkers are there and the fairways are narrow, I think it makes it a level playing field and your skill sets have got to stand up to the test."

Firing himself up, Australian Antcliff said: "I'm hitting fairways, greens – if you get a good number or angle, take advantage of it.

"Keep doing the same. Good golf gets you into good positions, keep doing that, good results happen."

Thomas Detry led after the first round on Saturday with a 68 of his own, but the Belgian was unable to follow that up with another sub-par outing as he carded a one-over 73, with bogeys on the first two holes and a double-bogey on the 10th difficult to recover from.

Nevertheless, Detry is one of six players within two shots of Southgate and Antcliff, though of them all Edoardo Molinari will be the most confident of usurping the leaders.

The Italian enjoyed the best round of the tournament so far with a glorious seven-under 65 that included seven birdies and an eagle, making his disappointing 75 from the previous day a distant memory as he moved to four under for the tournament alongside Dutchman Darius van Driel and Scotland's Scott Jamieson and David Law.

Eddie Pepperell holed a long-range birdie at the last hole to take a one-shot lead into Saturday's final round of the British Masters at The Belfry.

The 30-year-old was a shot back from overnight leaders Calum Hill, Robert MacIntyre and Richard Bland at the start of play on Friday, but a second successive 68 moved him into the lead.

Pepperell, who won the tournament in 2018, finished strongly with three birdies in his last seven holes - including an impressive 40-foot putt on the 18th.

That moved the world number 210 to 10 under for the tournament, with six players - including erstwhile leaders Hill and MacIntyre - in a tie for second.

Edoardo Molinari, Adrian Meronk, Dean Burmester and Guido Migliozzi were all also a stroke off the pace in a congested pack that saw the leading 26 players separated by five shots at the 54-hole stage.

"I remember the game feeling easier when I was playing better a few years ago. That's what I'm trying to get back to," Pepperell told Sky Sports.

"There were times out there today I didn't get it and times when I did - that seems to be the way it is.

"I've still got things going on in the swing that I can feel aren't where they once were and can cause me aggro, so the game still feels difficult."

Pre-tournament favourite MacIntyre dropped his only shot of the day on the par-four 10th hole as he failed to recover from a wayward tee shot.

"The way I play golf is aggressive and the course suits me perfectly," MacIntyre said. "When I'm in the fairway, a right-hand side pin is in danger, I just can't leave it alone.

"I didn't drive it my best today but I hit my irons beautifully - they were all over the pin but the putter was cold. It was on fire the day before so hopefully it turns up tomorrow."

Three birdies in his last four holes ensured that MacIntyre's fellow Scotsman Hill also remained firmly in the mix, while Molinari revived his own hopes by posting a 64, the lowest score of the day.

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