Michael Hoey just two shots off leader Edouard Espana in Spain

A second round 68 that included six birdies and two bogies was enough to put Michael Hoey in contention at the Open de Espana in Barcelona.

The 36-year-old Antrim golfer trails the aptly-named Edouard Espana by two shots at the halfway stage of the event in Barcelona as defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez failed to make the most of a record-equalling hole-in-one.

Hoey got his day off to a perfect start with a birdie three at the first hole before adding two more at the fifth and the seventh to go out in 33.

Another birdie at the 10th and it looked like the Northern Irishman might catch first round leader Trevor Fisher at the top of the leaderboard.

However his good run was stunted by consecutive bogies at the 11th and 12th holes.

But, not letting his head drop, a strong finish gave way to birdies at the 15th and 16th to post an impressive 68 and leave him tied third on five under par, with Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez one shot better off in second spot.

France’s Espana overcame strong winds which sent scores soaring in the afternoon to card a second round of 69 and finish seven under par at El Prat.

Jimenez had been four under following birdies on the second and fifth with his ninth European Tour ace – equalling the record of Colin Montgomerie – on the eighth, but came home in 39 to card a 71 and finish one under.

The 51-year-old, who is known for his love of cigars and red wine, at least had the consolation of winning 288 bottles of beer for his hole-in-one, which came when his six-iron pitched around 15 feet short of the pin and rolled perfectly into the hole.

Espana (25), who graduated from the Challenge Tour last season, told European Tour Radio: “Leading the open with my name everywhere is very cool.

“I played really good today, it was very windy so it was tough to control distance and the putting was tough too but I played very well and I am really happy. My family is from Spain so that’s why my name is Espana. My cousins are here this week so it’s really good.

“It’s completely different [on the European Tour], the level of tournaments are higher so I have to improve my game, my level to play good on tour and I try but it’s difficult so we will see at the end of the week if I keep going.

“It’s tough because there are a lot of good players, the courses are really good and difficult so you have to play well and focus on your game.”

The strong afternoon winds meant pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia avoided a first missed cut in 11 appearances in the event, the world number seven having added a second round of 72 to his opening 75.

“I didn’t feel I played that badly,” said Garcia, who was a shot outside the projected cut after finishing his round with two birdies in the last six holes and a par save from a greenside bunker on the last.

“It was a great week last week with everything that happened [losing a play-off in the Players Championship]. It takes it out of you, but it’s no excuse. You just try your best and hope it’s good enough.”

After discovering he had survived with a shot to spare, the 35-year-old later wrote on Twitter: “2 tough days to start the #OpendeEspana but at least I’ll have the opportunity to play the weekend and have a chance! Will need great golf!”

Gonzalez had set the early clubhouse target on six under par thanks to a second consecutive 69, the 45-year-old bouncing back from a double bogey on the 17th with a birdie on the last.

“I hit a bad tee shot on 17 and then I tried to hit the green, which was a big mistake, so I paid for it,” Gonzalez said. “I made a good six and then I said to my caddie: ‘I need to make a good birdie on 18’. I played two great shots to the green and and that gives me a lot of confidence for tomorrow.”

South Africa’s Darren Fichardt is alongside Hoey on five under after a disappointing 73.

Fichardt carded a superb 66 in the tougher afternoon conditions on Thursday and moved into a two-shot lead with a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, but dropped four shots in the space of six holes from the 10th to come home in 40.

Overnight leader and fellow South African Trevor Fisher fared even worse, carding a 78 to drop back to one under.

The cut did not go out far enough in the end to get Peter Lawrie into the weekend play; the Dubliner carding a scrappy three-over 75 to finish on five over, one shot outside the mark.