Frenchman Gregory Bourdy set the pace on the second day of the Portuguese Open at Oitavos Dunes but his lead was cut to two shots by late starter Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Bourdy followed up his course record-equalling opening round of 63 with a 65 to reach halfway on the 14-under-par total of 128, only four outside the European Tour record.
Fernandez-Castano began in the afternoon and shot a 66 to add to yesterday's 64 and finish on 12 under.
Thomas Levet is 11-under-par after sinking an eagle putt he estimated at 105 feet - the second longest of his life, he claimed - and making six birdies in a 64.
Damien McGrane and Rory McIlroy are the best placed of the Irish on six under after a 69 and 67 respectively.
Paul McGinley - third last time out in Korea three weeks ago - is one shot behind them after a 68, while Darren Clarke safely made the cut on four-under-par after a 70.
If the French duo are paired together in the third round tomorrow both their minds will go back more than a decade to the Lancome Trophy in Paris.
Aged "only 12 or 13" at the time Bourdy was invited to take part in the pro-am and Levet was the professional he partnered.
"It was a fantastic experience and he is a fantastic guy," said the Bordeaux golfer, who last Sunday poured champagne over Levet when he beat England's Oliver Fisher in a play-off for the Andalucian Open.
Levet remembers the pro-am too. "He was a little guy and I out-hit him by 50 yards," he said. "Not any more!"
England's Simon Khan was lying in third place on 10 under following a 67, but defending champion Pablo Martin, having set the new course record yesterday, added only a 71 and remained eight under.
Three members of the last Ryder Cup team are in the tournament after failing to qualify for The Masters.
David Howell, with a new coach and a fresh outlook, put some of his troubles behind him with a 68 to move on to seven under.
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