AUSTRIA 12 Jun 2015 (AFP) - After a first-round 65, the Frenchman carded a 67 on Friday to go four clear of compatriot Gary Stal and England's Chris Wood.
"I have been playing well so the confidence has been growing, probably since the Spanish Open but I have been playing well all year –- it was just a case of putting it all together," said Bourdy.
"It's always nice to be leading a tournament and that is why we practice so hard: to compete and to win events.
"Hopefully I can get a win this week but I have to stay focussed and play shot by shot and see where it takes me on Sunday."
The 33-year-old Bourdy made five birdies on the back nine after starting at the tenth.
He had a first bogey of the week on the first, before a 13th birdie of the week followed.
Spanish pair Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Carlos Pigem share fourth on seven under, while home favourite Bernd Wiesberger missed the cut on two over.
Russia's Andrey Pavlov carded a record score but not the kind he'll remember fondly after shooting an embarrassing 17 on the par-five first hole.
Pavlov had hit a respectable 71 in Thursday's opening round but Friday's second round got off to a disastrous start.
He found the water six times on his way to a 17, tying the unwanted record for most strokes at one hole in a European Tour event which was set by Chris Gane at Gleneagles in 2003.
The all-time worst score for one hole is 20 carded by Philippe Porquier at the 1978 French Open.
Pavlov finished Friday's round on 90 and a two-round total 161.
Leading second round scores in the Austria Open at the Diamond Country Club, Atzenbrugg, Austria on Friday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
132 - Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 65 67
136 - Chris Wood 67 69, Gary Stal (FRA) 68 68
137 - Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP) 69 68, Carlos Pigem (ESP) 72 65
138 - Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 69 69, Matthew Fitzpatrick 69 69
139 - David Horsey 71 68, Peter Lawrie 68 71
140 - Richard Bland 71 69, Maximilian Kieffer (GER) 67 73, Robert Dinwiddie 67 73, Matthew Nixon 74 66, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 73 67, John Hahn (USA) 71 69, Lee Slattery 69 71, Florian Fritsch (GER) 70 70, Cyril Bouniol (FRA) 68 72, Pedro Oriol (ESP) 70 70, Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 69 71, Julien Quesne (FRA) 69 71
141 - Lasse Jensen (DEN) 71 70, Callum Shinkwin 69 72, Jose Manuel Lara (ESP) 72 69, David Drysdale 68 73, Robert Rock 71 70, Martin Oveser (DEN) 72 69, Andrew McArthur 71 70, Ryan Evans 68 73, Dave Coupland 71 70
142 - Mikael Lundberg (SWE) 72 70, Jeev Milkha Singh (IND) 69 73, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 70 72, Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 71 71, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 70 72, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 70 72, Jake Roos (RSA) 74 68, Kenneth Ferrie 73 69, Renato Paratore (ITA) 72 70, Scott Jamieson 72 70, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 73 69, Michael Hoey 73 69