Dan Brown on the cusp of unlocking the code at BMW International Open

The 30-year-old carded a second successive 65 thanks to an eagle, six birdies and a bogey as he pipped fellow Englishman Jordan Smith to 16 under par.

Brown claimed his only DP World Tour title at the 2023 ISPS HANDA World Invitational presented by AVIV Clinics and put himself in pole position for a second victory at Golfclub München Eichenried.

Smith set the clubhouse target of 15 under after failing to birdie the par-five last, which Brown did shortly after, to sit one behind in solo second.

When asked how well he thought he played, Brown said: "Not as well as yesterday, I felt I got away with a couple of shots today where I was being sensible, middle of the green and pushed or pulled them - it wasn't as controlled as yesterday, but played nicely coming in.

"I didn't feel like I was under any pressure all day. I felt pretty relaxed and having a laugh and joke with my caddie, and then I said to him on the 18th green, 'this is for a 29', and then I left it (eagle putt) short...

"I've not really thought about it (winning the tournament), trying not to get upset. Something happened last week at home, win or lose tomorrow... I'm not sure to be honest. I've not really thought about it."

The World Number 170 had to wait until the sixth to get his round going, tapping in from close range for birdie.

Another followed from 15 feet at the next to climb to 11 under, however, he dropped his only shot at the eighth to slip back.

He took advantage of the par-five 11th with a birdie from four feet to sit two adrift of early leader Joost Luiten.

Brown closed the gap to one by picking up another shot at the 12th before rolling in from 20 feet at the 15th to get to 13 under.

However, the Northallerton native remained one adrift of new leader Smith, who was playing in the group ahead.

Brown applied pressure on the leader by landing his tee shot at the par-four 16th to within 25 feet, with Smith already on the same green with a lengthy eagle attempt.

Smith could only make a birdie to briefly lead by two at 15 under, but he was not alone as Brown soon drained his turning downhill effort for an eagle two.

A par-par finish from Smith set a new mark of 15 under, while Brown found the last hole in two and rolled in a birdie putt from five feet to take the outright lead with 18 holes to play.

Two-time DP World Tour winner Smith bounced back from a bogey at the third with birdies at the fifth, sixth and eighth on his front nine.

A pair of birdies from the 12th saw him join the Dutchman Luiten at the 13 under before another brace of gains from the 14th saw him move alone into second with his 66.

Luiten signed for eight birdies and a bogey in his 65 - the joint lowest of the day alongside Brown and Spain's Ivan Cantero - to set the initial clubhouse target of 13 under before eventually dropping to third.

Overnight leader Davis Bryant was joined by Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa, Englishman Marco Penge and Dane Rasmus Neegaard-Petersen in a share of fourth at 12 under.

Cantero, South African Brandon Stone and China's Ashun Wu are one shot further back to complete the top ten.