VILAMOURA, Portugal, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Maarten Lafeber, whose round Friday included a sand wedge shot for an eagle, owns a two-stroke lead halfway through European Tour's Portugal Masters.
Lafeber was in a three-way tie for the lead after the first round and had an eagle at No. 2 and three birdies in his first six holes en route to a 5-under-par 67 Friday for a 36-hole total of 13-under 131.
Mikko Ilonen, who shot a 68 Friday is in second place at 11-under and Raphael Jacquelin (67 Friday) and the homestanding Jose-Filipe Lima (64) are tied for third at 10-under. Lima's round Friday included six birdies, and an eagle at the 17th hole.
First-round co-leaders Robert Karlsson (71) and Johan Edfors (72) fell back into ties for fifth and 11th, respectively.
Lafeber's round Thursday included a bogey and a double bogey and he had two more bogeys -- holes 8 and 17 -- Friday. But he also spun a sand wedge shot at the second hole back into the cup for an eagle 2 and posted birdies on three of the next four holes. He got as far as 6-under for the day with birdies at 10 and 12 before ending with the 67.
