World No. 363 Matthew Baldwin is on the brink of a surprise victory at the BMW PGA Championship, just two years after he was driving an Amazon van.

The Southport star confessed: "I was more nervous about crashing the van!" Baldwin, now 38, first joined the European Tour in 2012 but has lost his card twice.

Before playing the Challenge Tour in 2022, he took up the driving job in north-west England. The English journeyman will now lead by two shots over Europe's best players into the weekend, chasing the £1.15million top prize at Wentworth.

But Baldwin, who tied the course record after 36 holes with a six-under 66, admitted: "There have been plenty of times I have been tempted to give up and try something else.

"I had three or four months working at Amazon driving a van just to see me through the winter before the Challenge Tour started in 2022. I had a mortgage, bills to pay and it helped cover that so it meant the money I did have I could use for golf.

"I learned that there are other things that I could do in life but I also learned that I really wanted to play golf."

Baldwin recounted one incident where he parked up for a job, forgot to apply the handbrake and had to dash back to stop the van just inches before a blue Ford Fiesta.

He said: "There was a woman who watched the whole thing and she said: 'I couldn't get my phone out quick enough to film it.'"

Baldwin's attempt at the fourth hole at the Belfry last month was a sight to behold when he tried to halt his swing, resulting in a comical eight-yard mis-hit through his legs.

"I made a great five to be fair," he chuckled. The Liverpool supporter once formed an unbeaten Lancashire foursomes duo with Everton fan Tommy Fleetwood during their amateur days.

"Our paths have gone slightly different but hopefully I can catch him up," Baldwin remarked.

This weekend, it's Fleetwood and other Ryder Cup luminaries who are chasing Baldwin after he carded impressive rounds of 65 and 66 to tie the halfway record of 13-under-par at this venue.

Having clinched his first DP World Tour victory on his 200th attempt in South Africa last year, Baldwin commented: "Mentally I've been very good.

"I have a tendency to get in my own way. I always feel first-tee nerves and I am sure everyone does. But I was more nervous about crashing the van."

Fleetwood trails by six shots following his round of 68, while Rory McIlroy is five behind Baldwin in fourth place after shooting a second-round 69.

Dane Niklas Norgaard Moller is hot on the leader's heels at 11-under overall, with Frenchman Antoine Rozner having the standout performance on Friday, shooting a seven-under 65 to sit just two strokes behind the English frontrunner.

The second day of play experienced a 77-minute delay due to the risk of lightning in Surrey.