Lewis fires 64 to turn heads in Portugal

EUROPEAN TOUR:YOUNG ENGLISHMAN Tom Lewis, bidding to earn his playing rights for next season after turning professional last month, stole the show with a sizzling eight-under 64 in the second round of the Portugal Masters to move to 10 under, three shots behind leader Simon Khan.

Shane Lowry was another big mover at the Oceanico Victoria course, carding six birdies in a 66 to move to nine under, the same mark as Peter Lawrie, who shot a 68.

Lewis, with Dubliner Colin Byrne on the bag, produced a scintillating reply to two opening bogeys by rattling in 10 birdies in 14 holes on a day of outstanding scoring.

“I thought I was on my way home after the first two holes and I was pretty angry with myself,” said Lewis, who sprang to prominence by sharing the first-round lead at the British Open in July while still an amateur.

“Then my putt on the 12th hole (his third) went in when it looked as though it was going 12 feet past. From there I just kept making birdie after birdie and my sad face turned into a smiley face.”

Lewis turned pro after helping Britain and Ireland regain the Walker Cup from the United States last month and is trying to earn a 2012 European Tour card from seven tournament invitations, this being his third.

“I don’t really want to go to tour school so I’m hoping a good finish this week will increase my chances,” he said.

Second place would earn him his playing rights in much the same way as world number three and US Open champion Rory McIlroy gained his card soon after turning professional in 2007.

Khan collected eight birdies in a 66 to lead Rhys Davies (67), James Kingston (68) of South Africa and Chilean Felipe Aguilar (66) by a stroke.

“I can’t remember the last time I was leading,” said Englishman Khan. “But I enjoy being up there.

“You have to embrace the pressure really and if you want to be on the fringes on this tour, then go and do something else. It’s only the shadow of your ambitions, the pressure, and you have just got to enjoy that.”

On a day when six-birdie runs were commonplace, Swede John Edfors claimed three eagles in a 67 as he finished in a group two strokes off the pace.

Tournament favourite and world number six Martin Kaymer, who shares the course record of 61, was left rueing two careless bogeys at the fourth and ninth as he returned a 68 for 135.

Nine-under looks good but really the par for the course is more like 69 than 72,” said the German. “I would expect to be closer to the lead but dropped two strokes where I should have been picking them up.

“I ran up four shots from only 45 yards on the fourth. Tiredness can creep in at this time of the year but I can’t blame that because I feel pretty fit.”

Gareth Maybin failed to build on his opening 65, carding a one-under 71 to move to eight under. Pádraig Harrington was on six under after a 71, while Damien McGrane (70) and Gary Murphy (72) made the cut right on the number at five under .

A level-par 72 was not enough for Paul McGinley, who missed the cut on two over.

European Tour

Portugal Masters – Second Round

(Oceanico Victoria GC, par 72)

Irish in bold, British unless stated

131 – S Khan 65 66.

132 – F Aguilar (Chi) 66 66, J Kingston (SA) 64 68, R Davies 65 67.

133 – C Nilsson (Swe) 69 64, D Dixon 69 64, J Edfors (Swe) 66 67.

134 – T Bjorn (Den) 65 69, K Horne (SA) 69 65, T Lewis 70 64, RC Bello (Spa) 69 65.

135 – R McEvoy 67 68, M Kaymer (Ger) 67 68, Peter Lawrie 67 68, O Fisher 69 66, P Larrazabal (Spa) 67 68, Shane Lowry 69 66, P Lawrie 69 66, F Zanotti (Par) 68 67, L Gagli (Ita) 69 66, G Havret (Fra) 66 69.

136 – A Velasco (Spa) 70 66, T Aiken (SA) 67 69, S Webster 66 70, D Gaunt (Aus) 69 67, R Fisher 66 70, Gareth Maybin 65 71, A Quiros (Spa) 70 66, P Hanson (Swe) 66 70, D Drysdale 69 67, P Figueiredo (Por) 71 65, T Goya (Arg) 67 69, M Foster 67 69.

137 – J-B Gonnet (Fra) 69 68, RJ Derksen (Ned) 69 68, F Molinari (Ita) 67 70, N Colsaerts (Bel) 68 69, P Price 69 68, R Echenique (Arg) 72 65, A Noren (Swe) 67 70, J Donaldson 69 68, B Hebert (Fra) 69 68.

138 – J Luiten (Ned) 67 71, S Hansen (Den) 66 72, K Ferrie 70 68, T Jaidee (Tha) 66 72, R Rock 69 69, S Dodd 68 70, A Forsyth 68 70, M Jonzon (Swe) 71 67, M Fraser (Aus) 69 69, B Dredge 70 68, P Whiteford 71 67, M Lafeber (Ned) 66 72, D Lynn 70 68, J Morrison 70 68, R Jacquelin (Fra) 68 70, I Garrido (Spa) 69 69, Pádraig Harrington 67 71.

139 – M Wiegele (Aut) 70 69, H Otto (SA) 72 67, Damien McGrane 69 70, C Montgomerie 67 72, D Howell 71 68, D Horsey 68 71, M Siem (Ger) 71 68, S O’Hara 68 71, G Coetzee (SA) 70 69, JM Lara (Spa) 70 69, A Wall 67 72, Gary Murphy 67 72, M Warren 70 69, R Green (Aus) 71 68, B Wiesberger (Aut) 65 74.

Selected players (who failed to make the cut): 140 – N Fasth (Swe) 71 69, MA Jimenez (Spa) 69 71. 141 – JM Olazabal (Spa) 71 70. 146 – Paul McGinley 74 72. 147 – J Daly (USA) 73 74.

Challenge Tour

Roma Open – Second Round

(Olgiata GC, Rome, par 71, Irish in bold)

132 – R Russell (Sco) 67 65.

134 – C Macaulay (Sco) 66 68, G Molteni (Ita) 69 65, S Little (Eng) 66 68, L Kennedy (Eng) 68 66.

136 – B Ritthammer (Ger) 67 69.

137 – R Steiner (Aut) 71 66, V Riu (Fra) 66 71, S Walker (Eng) 68 69, S Thornton 67 70, A Pavan (Ita) 69 68, F Colombo (Ita) 68 69.

138 – J Garcia (Spa) 70 68, G Houston (Wal) 69 69, A Marshall (Eng) 67 71, M Carlsson (Swe) 70 68, J Lima (Por) 66 72, J McLeary (Sco) 70 68, P Oriol (Spa) 67 71.

139 – F Valera (Spa) 70 69, A Grenier (Fra) 63 76, A Tadini (Ita) 69 70, A Bernadet (Fra) 68 71, T Fleetwood (Eng) 71 68.

140 – D Denison (Eng) 69 71, M Southgate (Eng) 71 69.

141 – A Otaegui (Esp) 64 77, M Kieffer (Ger) 74 67, P Del Grosso (Arg) 70 71, C Brazillier (Fra) 69 72, D Brooks (Eng) 70 71, J Lagergren (Swe) 70 71, J Doherty (Sco) 71 70, A Domingo (Spa) 71 70, J Campillo (Spa) 73 68, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 70, M Delpodio (Ita) 70 71.

Seniors Tour

Benahavis Senior Masters – First Round

(La Quinta GC, par 71, Irish in bold)

65 – G Wolstenholme (Eng).

66 – J Gould (Eng), A Sowa (Arg).

67 – M Mouland (Wal).

68 – M James (Eng).

69 – J Davila (Spa) , G Brand (Eng), B Lincoln (SA), E Rodriguez (Spa), J Harrison (Eng), T Thelen (US), F Mann (Sco).

70 – D O’Sullivan, A Franco (Par), R Drummond (Sco), B Cameron (Eng), D Hospital (Esp), C Rocca (Ita), C Mason (Eng), D Johnson (USA), J Cañizares (Spa), B Lane (Eng), S Van Vuuren (SA). Other Irish: 73 – J Heggarty. 74 – D Smyth.