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ZANDVOORT, Netherlands - Soren Hansen has struggled of late and Justin Rose has been losing sleep, but both took big strides towards securing their Ryder Cup places at The KLM Open on Thursday.

Their revivals were not big enough to see them catch Dutchman Rolf Muntz, who was the star of the opening round at the Kennemer Golf and Country Club with a six under par 64, but they are firmly in contention.

For Denmark’s Hansen, who shot a brilliant 65 to share second with John Bickerton, it could mean the end of a mini-slump. In his last four events, his best position has been a tie for 64th at The Open Championship, but his form here seems inspired.

His front nine was going well with birdies at the second, third and eighth before the wind was sapped from his sails by a double bogey six at the ninth.

However, rather than crumble, he hit back with what he called a "spectacular" inward 30 that featured birdies at the tenth, 12th, 16th and 18th holes.

He said: “I made a double bogey on the ninth which is one of the toughest holes we play all year. But I followed that with a birdie on ten and 12 and that was the key to getting it back quickly and allowed me to try and shoot a really good score. I played well today.”

Hansen currently occupies the tenth spot in the Ryder Cup Team, just €268 ahead of Martin Kaymer, who is two over par after a 72. The closeness of the battle has concerned him for more than a month, but he feels his game is getting back to the stunning level he showed earlier in the season.

He added “I actually started thinking about it around The Open but then I wasn’t playing great and it’s not good to think about that when you are not playing well. I really want to make the Team, especially after how the last year and a half has gone. I feel like I have my old game back after last week (he took a week off) and these two weeks could be really exciting for me. This is what we play for.”

Bickerton played flawless golf in his round of 65. The Englishman collected strokes at the third, fifth and sixth holes, before turning and gaining birdies at the 13th and 16th.

It leaves him a shot ahead of Noren Alexander, while Rose, Rafa Echenique, Anthony Wall, Simon Khan, Damien McGrane, Phillip Price, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and Raphael Jacquelin are a shot further back on three under.

World Number 12 Rose had a bogey-free 67 and admitted he had barely slept the night before.

"Now I'm looking forward to an afternoon nap," said Rose, joint ninth at the US PGA Championship two weeks ago. "It must have been three o'clock when I got to sleep - I had a coffee at dinner and there must have been rocket fuel in it.

"I wasn't as rested as I would have liked, but I got away with it. I didn't play particularly well, but I guess I managed it well.

"When you are a pro you learn how to make the most of your game when you are not tip-top.

"I'm really pleased - I knew coming here that there would be a lot of attention on the Ryder Cup, but I just had to try to get into the mindset of playing tournament golf."

Starting on the back nine he birdied the 11th, fourth and sixth and during monsoon-like conditions over the closing stretch scrambled brilliantly to avoid losing ground.

Former British amateur champion Muntz avoided the worst of the weather.

He still had to capitalise, of course, but did with six birdies and commented: "It’s awesome playing in front of your home crowd and it was a gorgeous round - the kind you plan on paper and it actually works out."

Rose lies eighth on The Ryder Cup table and therefore needs to avoid three players going past him by the end of next week.

The only one of the leading candidates to score better than him was Hansen, while Oliver Wilson, lying ninth in the race and playing with Rose, led when he turned in 31, but in the end had to settle for a one under 69.

Defending champion Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty, currently 13th and 14th, both double bogeyed the ninth and tenth in rounds of 70 and 73 respectively.

Dougherty, last week's runner-up in Sweden, lost a ball with only his second shot of the day, while Darren Clarke finished two under alongside 14 others.