Irish trio well placed in Portugal

Golf – Portugal Masters update:Three Irishmen are well placed at the midpoint of the €3.6million Portugal Masters at Vilamoura. The Dublin pair of Peter Lawrie and Ryder Cup vice captain Paul McGinley are within five shots of the lead on eight under after respective rounds of 68 and 70.

Lawrie has been the model of consistency over the first two days and a four-birdie blitz in his last five holes ensured a second consecutive 68 at the Arnold Palmer designed Victoria Course. McGinley's 70 was nowhere near as impressive as his first round 66 after three bogeys undid the good work of five birdies.

The pair were at one stage three behind overnight leaders Robert Karlsson and Maarten Lafeber but the latter shot into the outright lead on 13 under with a 67.

Finland's Mikko Ilonen shot 68 to lie in second, with local hopeful Jose-Filipe Lima and Raphael Jacquelin a stroke further back, but Karlsson could only manage a 71 and was swallowed up by the chasing pack on nine under, one ahead of the Irish pair.

Shane Lowry was a shot further back again on seven under after a 69, while Michael Hoey also shot 69 to get to five under, alongside Damien McGrane (72).

Lafeber started the day level on eight under with Karlsson, but the both Swedes slipped off the pace after solid rather than the spectacular rounds they produced yesterday.

Karlsson carded a 71 to be four strokes off the pace with Edfors’ even round leaving him a shot back.

Lafeber did not take long to pick up from where he left off yesterday as he eagled the par-four second before birdies in three of his next four holes.

Ilonen, who shot an unblemished round with four birdies, had set the early clubhouse lead but Lafeber built a lead, despite dropping a shot at the par-three eighth, with birdies at 10 and 12.

Lafeber had a late hiccup when he drove into the water on 17 but recovered enough to drop just a single stroke and preserve his lead going into the weekend.

But with the Oceanico Victoria playing friendly, and with perfect conditions expected at the weekend, Lafeber’s lead is likely to come under fire over the weekend.

Ryder Cup hero Francesco Molinari showed how the Algarve course can be tamed with the round of the day as he shot a 10-under-par 62, following his 74 yesterday, to haul himself back into contention on eight under.

“You will get a lot of chances around here so if you stay out of the water you will have a chance around here,” Karlsson told Sky Sports 1. “I missed a few putts. The wind was a little bit tricky today.

“But it’s a four-day golf tournament. I’m not too worried now. If you are four or five shots behind on Sunday you still have a chance.”

Gareth Maybin looks likely to miss the cut by one after a 73 dropped him back to three under. Darren Clarke and Simon Thornton will also miss out on the weekend action, the Dungannon man having moved to one under with a 71.

Thornton was a late entry into the event but failed to produce the sort form he was looking for. The 33-year-old travelled to the Algarve as fifth reserve and got a late call-up but had to use borrowed clubs as he didn't have his own.

He shot rounds of 72, 74 playing alongside Miguel Angel Jimenez - who signed for a 69 to be five under - and has missed out on an opportunity to enhance his playing rights on the main tour for next season.

English quartet Richard Finch, David Dixon, David Howell and David Horsey were in the group of six players tied for fifth on eight under.