Three shot lead for Owen

Golf: Greg Owen moved closer to his maiden European Tour victory when he took a three-shot lead in the Algarve Portuguese Open second round yesterday.

Owen finished off a two-under-par 70 for eight-under-par total of 136 with a chip-in birdie to edge three strokes clear of Germany's Marcel Siem and four shots ahead of overnight leader Fredrik Jacobson and Spain's Carlos Rodilesl.

Ireland's Graeme McDowell suffered a day of frustration as he finished nine shots off the pace.

A blistering start saw the Rathmore man fire four birdies in the first six holes but a dropped shot at the seventh was the start of a run of seven bogeys in the next 10 holes for a second round of 75 and a total of 145.

McDowell was, however, the only Irish player to make the cut. Stephen Browne with a 75 and Peter Lawrie with 76 for 150 missed by just one shot while Philip Walton shot 81 for 152 and Gary Murphy 78 for 154. Ronan Rafferty was disqualified.

An erratic round by Owen also included an eagle when he crashed in a three-iron approach to just three feet, a double-bogey when hooked out of bounds and a missed four-foot birdie chance before his chip-in finale.

Owen blamed his early double-bogey on rustiness with his rhythm and the shock of an early alarm call.

"I've had four weeks off and six o'clock mornings hurt," joked Owen. "But the rhythm was just not quite there today and I don't want it to be as scrappy again this week." The 6ft 4ins Englishman is trying not to put pressure on himself by chasing his first full tour title after seven years trying, in which he has had four third places, including a third in this event last year.

"I'll just concentrate on hitting fairways and then the numbers should add up," added Owen, who has been backed to win this event by his agent, well-known snooker promoter Barry Hearn, his Wednesday pro-am partner.

Former European number one Lee Westwood began his week's break early as he crashed out of the tournament 16-over-par, adding a 79 to his opening 81 and missing the cut by 11 strokes.

Westwood had said on Thursday that he was "miles away" from the standard of form he wanted.

The 2000 order of merit winner is likely now to slip even further from his 237th spot, with the HP Classic in New Orleans his next tournament.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Des Smyth is four behind leaders Gil Morgan and Leonard Thompson after the first round of the Emerald Coast Classic at the Moors Golf Club Florida.

Morgan and Thompson shot seven-under-par 63s while Smyth opened with a three-under-par 67. Smyth was out in 33 after birdies at the fifth and seventh and came back in 34 with birdies at the 16th and 18th. He dropped his only shot of the round at the par-four 17th.

Eamonn Darcy, out in 34, shot nine straight pars on the way home for a one under par 69.