SIMON DYSON travelled on route 66 at the BMW International Open.

The European Tour ace added to an opening 69 with a blistering six under-par effort - including seven birdies and just one dropped shot - as he reached the half-way stage of the event, which carries a first prize of 333,000 euros, at nine under par.

On a day of low scoring at the Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, in Koln, Dyson’s birdie blitz still vaulted him up the leaderboard into a tie for 13th - three shots behind a band of five leaders on 12-under-par.

He picked up birdies at the second, seventh and eighth holes in an opening nine of 33 and, although he would bogey the par four 12th, he also birdied the 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th for an inward 33.

The York born golfer, seeking his first title since 2011, has been in good recent form - a tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship at Wentworth his standout result.

The quintet at the top, meanwhile, includes Yorkshire’s Danny Willett, who followed up his opening 64 with a 68.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello is one of those also at 12 under, though his round may have been better but for a moment of misfortune at the par five seventh hole. Playing his third stroke from rough in front of the green, he hit his ball twice as he attempted to chip clear. It meant he was forced to settle for a bogey.

Harrogate’s John Parry missed yet another cut. A second round of 80, added to his first effort of 74, left him well below the standard required. He has yet to make a cut on the European Tour in 2014.