US Open champion Michael Campbell today made an early exit from the Celtic Manor Wales Open, while the first 59 in European Tour history again proved elusive.

Less than two weeks before the defence of his title at Winged Foot, Campbell had an unscheduled weekend off after rounds of 75 and 66 for a three over par total of 141.

That left the New Zealander a massive 16 shots off the lead currently held by Sweden's Robert Karlsson.  That is at least three shots too many with the cut currently at level par, and likely to fall at one-under.

It was also in sharp contrast to the low scoring elsewhere on the par-69 Roman Road course, at 6,743 yards the shortest used on the tour all year.

A day after England's Philip Archer agonisingly missed a six-foot birdie putt on the 18th to break the magical 60 barrier, Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima and Scotland's Gary Orr had also threatened to go one better.

Lima raced to the turn in just 30 shots and then birdied the 12th and 13th, holing a bunker shot on the latter to stand seven under for the round with five holes remaining.

The French-born 24-year-old then holed from 30ft for another birdie on the 14th but crucially three-putted the next for bogey when his birdie putt caught the edge of the hole and span four feet away.

Lima could only manage one more birdie, on the par four 17th, and signed for an eight under 61 to remain one shot off the lead.

"I was thinking about 59 or even 58 because my game was perfect today," he admitted. "I was joking with my caddy about it but I was still concentrating on my game and playing shot by shot.

"Even after the mistake at 15 I was thinking about an eagle on the par five and more birdies but I am happy with eight under.

"I played well here last year and finished joint eighth. It's very short and I can carry all the bunkers and there are a lot of short par fours which are easy for me."

Attention then switched to Orr who, after starting on the 10th, had six birdies in a row from the 12th to cover the back nine in just 28 shots.

Another birdie on the first raised real hopes of a 59 but the 39-year-old from Helensburgh three-putted the par-five third for par and then bogeyed fourth.

However, its Karlsson who is beginning to take control.  The Swede rattled off five consecutive birdies on holes three to seven for a three shot lead over Scot Colin Montgomerie.

Monty enjoyed a similar run on his front nine, with birdies on holes two to five, another on seven, before bogeying eight.  The Scot leads Lima, Archer and Paul Broadhurst by one.

Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie are best placed of the Irish on six and five under respectively, with both David Higgins and Graeme McDowell on one-under par.

Paul McGinley will miss the cut if he doesn't find some birdies on the back nine.  The Dubliner is three-over-par after 10 holes.