British Masters: Matt Fitzpatrick eyes Ryder Cup as he chases Marcel Siem at Belfry

Matt Fitzpatrick boosted his chances of making the European Ryder Cup team by finishing the second round of the Betfred British Masters with a 69 to finish just one stroke behind Marcel Siem. Live coverage continues on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm on Saturday.

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Betfred British Masters Day 2 Highlights at Belfry

Matt Fitzpatrick trails Marcel Sim by one stroke after Friday's round in the Betfred British Masters.

The Englishman, who made five birdies and two bogeys in the round, produced a confident 69 on the Belfry Course, which caught the attention of European team captain Luke Donald.

Fitzpatrick will no longer be guaranteed a spot on the Ryder Cup team through automatic selection, but is hoping to be named captain.

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Fitzpatrick's best moment came with a birdie on the 18th hole, where he hit a 22-foot putt to raise his score to -8 and draw cheers from the crowd.

“Thanks to the fans – there were a lot of spectators today, it's inspiring. Such support is incredibly important,” the golfer shared.

“I'm in the mood for the weekend. As I said earlier, it's important to conserve energy and avoid overexertion.”

Rasmus Højgaard finished 14th after two rounds, remaining in contention for a direct spot on the European team.

Pictured: Rasmus Hoegaard remains in contention for an automatic spot in the Ryder Cup team.

The Dane finished the second round with 71 strokes, five strokes behind the leader with an overall score of -4.

To overtake Shane Lowry in the rankings, Haigaard needs to finish 29th or higher in this tournament.

The top six positions in the rankings guarantee participation in the Ryder Cup. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert McIntyre and Tyrrell Hatton have already secured their places in the team.

Lowry misses the British Masters, the final stage of qualifying, and will not be able to improve on his result.

Marcel Sim retained the lead. The German, who started tied, quickly moved ahead with an eagle and three birdies in the first eight holes.

He finished the round with a 69 (-9), one point ahead of Fitzpatrick heading into the final days of the tournament.

However, Siem admitted that mistakes on the 18th, 2nd and 6th holes prevented him from improving his score.

Pictured: Matt Fitzpatrick with five birdies and two bogeys in a round of 69 at Belfry.

“I had a great start, but then ambition got the better of me,” Siem said. “On the 18th hole, a bad tee shot and a missed putt ruined the result. Later, the mistakes were repeated, but I will try to correct that.”

England's Matt Wallace shared third place (-7) with Kazuma Kobori and Brandon Stone.

Scots amateur Cameron Adam reached the final with an eagle and a birdie in his second-round 70 to drop his score to -3.

Follow the Betfred British Masters battle on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 12.30pm. Get Sky Sports or watch contract-free on NOW.