Hedblom leads by 2 in Perth

Perth, Western Australia (SportsNetwork.com) - Peter Hedblom carded a 3-under 69 on Friday and grabbed a two-stroke lead after 36 holes of the ISPS HANDA Perth International.

Hedblom, a three-time winner on the European Tour, ended two rounds at 7- under-par 137.

Ross Fisher fired a 5-under 67 at Lake Karrinyup Country Club to jump into second place at minus-5.

Clint Rice and Jin Jeong, who were two of four first-round leaders with Hedblom and James Nitties, managed even-par 72s in round two. They share third place at 4-under 140 with Soren Hansen (69), Dimitrios Papadatos (71) and Josh Younger (70).

Nitties stumbled to a 1-over 73 to slide into eighth place at 3-under-par 141. He stands alongside defending champion Bo Van Pelt (71), Brody Ninyette (69) and Richard Finch (69).

This is the final event for players to get inside the top 110 on the Race to Dubai standings. Hedblom started the week 179th on that list.

Hedblom opened with a birdie on the first and came back with his second birdie in two days at the par-4 fourth. He stumbled to a bogey at the sixth, but bounced right back with a 2-putt birdie on the seventh.

The Swede birdied the ninth from 10 feet out to make the turn with a 2-stroke lead at minus-7. Hedblom parred the first three holes of the back nine.

Hedblom wrapped birdies at the 13th and 15th around a bogey on the 14th. He has bogeyed the 14th in both rounds so far. Hedblom faltered to another bogey on the 17th to slip back with minus-7. He parred the last to lead by two.

"It's been two great days. But my golf is strange right now, because I hit really good shots, and some really poor shots, but my putting has been good. So it's great right now to be leading," Hedblom stated. "It's been a while, 2009 was my last win, but I know I have the game to do it. Right now would be good. We'll see, I think the closer you get to Sunday, it's going to be harder."

Fisher played the back nine first in round two and got on the board with his second birdie in two rounds on the par-5 11th. He made it two in a row with a birdie on the 11th, then climbed to 3-under with a birdie on the 15th.

The Englishman stumbled to a bogey on No. 18. Fisher birdied the par-5 third for the second straight round to atone for that error. He came back with birdies at five and eight to move into second place.

"I want to try and get in the top 60. It would be for me a great achievement having played the first half of the year in the (United) States. My first tournament in Europe counting wise wasn't till May," explained Fisher, who wants to get inside the top 60 on the points list, which would get him into the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

NOTES: The cut line fell at 2-over-par 146 with 69 players moving on to the weekend ... Paul Casey missed the cut by a stroke, while Tjaart van der Walt, Nathan Green, Michael Sim and Peter Lonard also failed to move on to the weekend.