Hennie Otto surged clear as the second round of the 71° OPEN D'ITALIA Presented by DAMIANI began to dent fellow former winner Francesco Molinari’s chances of victory in his home town of Turin.
The South African, who carded an opening 67, picked up shots on the first, second and fourth to join Austria’s overnight joint-leader Bernd Wiesberger at the top of the leaderboard.
Otto, who won this event in 2008, then birdied the seventh and eighth to boost his chances of a first European Tour title since winning his national open in 2011.
Wiesberger and Morten Ørum Madsen were two shots back with Spain's Rafael Cabrera Bello alongside Molinari on seven under after covering the back nine in 32 and then carding four birdies in a row from the first.
In the battle to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team, Stephen Gallacher is the only player who controls his destiny in the final qualifying event, the Scot needing to finish in the top two to dislodge Graeme McDowell from the team.
However, it was Molinari who did most to boost his chances of a third successive appearance in the biennial event with an opening 66 to claim a share of the overnight lead with Austrian Wiesberger.
Wiesberger had resumed from the tenth and picked up birdies on the 12th - after a superb greenside bunker shot - and the par three 16th.
Home favourite Molinari, who began playing golf at Circolo Golf Torino aged eight, almost holed his tee shot on the par three 13th to set up an easy birdie, but bogeyed the short 16th after finding sand off the tee.
Molinari got back into red figures for the day with a birdie on the par five first - the easiest hole on the course this week - but was not having things all his own way as he found himself three behind Otto.
Otto continued to pile on the pressure, a birdie on the ninth taking him out in 30 and an eagle on the par five 12th meaning he was eight under par for the day.
At 13 under par overall, it was also bad news for Gallacher's prospects of a top-two finish, the Scot looking set to face a daunting deficit as he began his second round at 1:30pm local time.
Molinari was also in danger of slipping out of contention, a bogey on the third dropping him seven off the pace on six under.
