ST. OMER, France -- Christian Nilsson shot a 7-under 64 for an overall score of 139 and a two-stroke lead Friday after the second round of the $1.2 million St. Omer Open on the European Tour.

The Swede had a bogey-free round, sinking seven birdies in the morning to tie the overnight leader Roope Kakko, who shot a 3-over 74 in the afternoon to drop to third place.

John E. Morgan of England remained second with a 1-over 72, including three bogeys and two birdies for a 141 total. He and Nilsson were the only players under par at the halfway mark of the tournament.

Nilsson, who is ranked 534th in the world, finished seventh at the Italian Open last month.

Paul McGinley's chances of making Europe's Ryder Cup team look bleak after he missed the cut. The Irishman followed up a 3-over-par 74 from the previous day with a 4-over 75 to miss the cut by two shots.

Had he holed a 20-foot putt for birdie on the 18th green he would have made it through to the weekend, but it sailed past and he then missed the return. That bogey was one of six for the day and 12 for the tournament.

Despite a strong showing in the first half of the BMW PGA Championship last month, where he set a new record low 36-hole aggregate, the 41-year-old has yet to win this season and failed to qualify for this week's U.S. Open.

McGinley sunk to new lows here this week, finishing day two 10 shots off the lead held by Nilsson, who equalled the course record with a stunning 7-under 64.

The 29-year-old fired seven birdies in a flawless second round to match the record held by Brett Rumford and Jamie Little. He attributed his strong showing to his short game and the improved weather.

"Yesterday was not good but today was very good," he said. "I made a lot of putts and played good iron shots. Playing well on the greens was a big difference. I didn't make any putts yesterday but today I did.

"The greens are very tricky and tough to find the lines but today I found them," he added. "The weather also made a big difference. Yesterday was windy, rainy and cold.

"It's a lot more fun to play in good conditions and when you play well it's even more fun," he said. "I need a good couple of rounds now to finish and I'm feeling quite refreshed."

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