Matt Wallace is in strong shape to step up his bid for a fourth European Tour title this year when he gets his third round at the Portugal Masters under way today.
The Moor Park professional consolidated his opening round of 64 with a 67 yesterday to move to 11-under-par, one shot off the lead at the halfway stage in Vilamoura.
Having made a birdie four at the par five fifth, the 28-year-old made his first bogey of the tournament at the par four seventh. But the world number 56 then hit the accelerator, making back-to-back birdies at eight and nine and picking up further shots at the 11th and 13th to remain firmly in the mix.
Wallace, who sits 18th in the Race to Dubai standings following his victories at the Hero Indian Open, BMW International Open and Made in Denmark, will be in the penultimate group to tee off alongside Renato Paratore and Haotong Li.
The final group off will be the three co-leaders, Lucas Herbert, Eddie Pepperell and Oliver Fisher, fresh from shooting the first-ever 59 in European Tour history.
But there was disappointment for Wallace’s Moor Park club-mate Callum Shinkwin, who failed to make the cut on two-under-par.
The Bushey golfer followed up his 69 with an even-par 71, but he missed out with the cut falling at three-under.
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