Defending champion Andy Sullivan carded 10 birdies to take a share of the lead after two rounds of the Portugal Masters on Friday, firing a season-low 61.
The Englishman won the event last season by a record nine shots with a 23 under par total and his round on Friday took his bogey-free run at the Vilamoura venue to 56 holes.
Overnight leader Marc Warren added a 65 to his opening 63 to also get to 14 under and a share of the lead.
“I knew I needed to go low today to get a beat on the leaders,” said Sullivan.
“So to go out there and shoot that score is absolutely fantastic. I had thoughts of 59 coming down the stretch there, but it wasn’t to be. It’s fantastic being on top of the leaderboard and giving myself a chance going into the weekend.”
The 14 under par total of 128 for Sullivan and Warren was the lowest 36-hole score this season achieved without preferred lies.
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, without a win since his US PGA Championship triumph in 2008, fired a 63 to sit alongside Jens Fahrbring at 13 under in second place.
Leading second round scores
128—Andrew Sullivan 67 61, Marc Warren 63 65
129—Jens Fahrbring (SWE) 65 64, Padraig Harrington 66 63
130—David Lipsky (USA) 64 66
131—Edouard Espana (FRA) 65 66, Paul Waring 67 64, Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 64 67, Raphael Jacquelin (FRA) 66 65
132—Richie Ramsay 71 61, Callum Shinkwin 64 68, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 66 66, Simon Dyson 67 65, Chris Paisley 65 67, Paul Lawrie 66 66, Nacho Elvira (ESP) 65 67, Trevor Fisher (RSA) 69 63
133—Anders Hansen (DEN) 67 66, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 69 64, Matthew Baldwin 64 69, Scott Jamieson 69 64, Oliver Fisher 66 67, Brett Rumford (AUS) 67 66, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71 62, Robert Rock 67 66, Justin Walters (RSA) 67 66
134 — Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN) 67 67, Ricardo Gouveia (POR) 66 68, Alex Noren (SWE) 67 67, Marcel Siem (GER) 67 67, George Coetzee (RSA) 66 68, Johan Carlsson (SWE) 68 66, Graeme Storm 68 66, Jason Scrivener (AUS) 68 66, Prom Meesawat (THA) 67 67, David Drysdale 69 65.
England’s Andy Sullivan plays a shot on the tee 18 during the second round of Portugal Master golf tournament at Victoria Golf Club golf course in Vilamoura on Friday. (AFP)
