Lee Westwood could never have expected to repeat the round of 61 he carded in Cologne yesterday, but the Englishman will certainly not be happy with his attempt after he shot a 73 on day two at Gut Lärchenhof in Germany.
Westwood held a four shot lead over Soren Hansen before the start of play this morning but now trails him by one shot after the Dane added to his first round 65 with a 68.
Hansen, with two second places and a third in recent weeks, is 11-under-par.
Westwood was at 14 under at the turn but four bogeys on the back nine put Hansen in control.
Hansen again shrugged off the clamour surrounding his group of home favourite Bernhard Langer and tournament-draw John Daly, steadily making inroads into Westwood's overnight lead until the Englishman's eagled the seventh.
"Yesterday I made it look easy but today I needed to make some good up and downs," Hansen told reporters after a round with five birdies and one bogey.
"The way I've been playing for the last three months, it's got to be rewarded. My putting is so much better and my short game is that little bit sharper, they're ingredients for that big package.
"Lee Westwood in form, though, is always a dangerous man," added Hansen, 13th on the European money list.
At 50, Langer is aiming to be the European Tour's oldest winner and would have been closer to the lead but for two poor closing tee-shots as he carded a 68.
Simon Dyson, trying to elbow out fellow-Briton Nick Dougherty for a Seve Trophy place, came back from a poor front nine to shoot 71. Daly is a further stroke back after also scrambling 71.
Paul McGinley challenge wilted further as the Dubliner dropped to five-over-par thanks to a 79.
McGinley carded six consecutive bogeys from the second to the seventh, before holing his only birdie on the 11th. Normal service was resumed on the 12th with another bogey, before an eighth on the 14th capped a miserable day.
Dungannon's Darren Clarke has dropped back to level par after a 75, while Graeme McDowell was two over (one-under for the day) through 12.
