Oliver Fisher continued his love affair with Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course to take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Portugal Masters.
The Englishman will forever be remembered for carding the first-ever 59 on the European Tour here last season but his focus is on a number nearly twice that size this week.
Only the top 115 in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex are guaranteed to keep their cards for next season and Fisher entered the week under pressure at 112th.
He has produced the perfect response over the first two days in Vilamoura, carding his lowest rounds of the campaign in a 65-65 start that has moved him to 12 under.
South Korean Jeunghun Wang and South African Justin Walters are both also in need of a good week at 119th and 121st in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, respectively, and they were a shot off the lead, one clear of another South African in Brandon Stone.
‘The thing with golf is anything can happen, just as I proved last year,’ he said. ‘I’m on the same score as I was at this stage last year in this tournament. I shot 71-59 and this year I’ve shot two 65s.
‘I’m pleased to hit 65, I’m looking forward to the weekend.’
Walters holed a monster putt for par to keep his card at this event in 2013, while three-time European Tour-winner Wang has two top 10s in his last four events as he peaks at the right time.
Wang made a hat-trick of birdies from the second and then another gain from seven feet on the eighth had him turn in 31 and get within one.
A tap-in on the tenth gave him a share of the lead and it was soon a three-way tie as Walters joined the party.
The 39-year-old bogeyed the second but hit back with a pair of birdies and made another on the seventh to turn in 33.
He could not get up and down on the last but will go out in the last group on Saturday for the second year in a row.
Stone was bogey-free in a second consecutive 66 with birdies on the tenth, 17th, 18th, second and eighth to sit a shot ahead of fellow South Africans Darren Fichardt and Haydn Porteous, and England’s Eddie Pepperell.
Fichardt entered the week 128th on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex but birdied the 15th, 17th and last in a 67 that puts him on the bubble, while Porteous carded a 65 and Pepperell – third and second here in the past two seasons – signed for a 66.
George Coetzee was at eight under, a shot clear Louis de Jager, Jack Singh Brar, Jamie Donaldson and Adrien Saddier – all of whom are fighting for their cards – defending champion Tom Lewis, local favourite Tiago Cruz and South African Dean Burmester.
Wang was dialled in and left himself another tap-in at the 12th but Walters made a two-putt birdie on the par-five 17th and they were soon joined by Fisher.
The 2011 Czech Open winner birdied the third and holed his second for eagle from just in front of the green on the next but bogeyed the sixth to turn in 33.
He holed a ten-footer on the 11th, almost drove the 15th and then made a 15-footer on the 16th to share the lead.
