Thomson and Dean sharing lead in Holland with Brown just shot adrift

Thomson (71 69) and Dean (72 68), who are also Lindrick club-mates, are tied at the top with Germany’s Timo Vahlenkamp (69 71).

Yorkshire’s interest in the title is further enhanced by Bedale’s Daniel Brown, who is in a tie for fourth just one shot back of the leaders after adding a 70 to his opening 71.

Thomson’s second round had a serene seven holes to start, all pars, before he eagled the 503-yard par-5 eighth.

He dropped a shot immediately at the next hole, but on the way in birdied 12 and 15 – the latter for the second day in succession – for his three-under-par 69.

Dean had three birdies in his first six holes, albeit they sandwiched a bogey at the fourth, and a further shot got away at the 10th.

But three birdies in four holes from the 14th saw him produce replica nines of two-under 34.

Brown was one over to the turn, with a birdie at three and successive bogeys at seven and eight, but a birdie at 11 was a prelude to an eagle 3 at the 465-yard par-5 14th.