Nino Bertasio followed up his stunning opening 61 with a 69 to take a two shot lead into the weekend at the 2021 Portugal Masters.
The Italian had fired his lowest European Tour round on day one and while he could not keep up that incredible scoring in round two, he was a picture of consistency as he moved to 12 under at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.
Spaniard Adri Arnaus, Dane Lucas Bjerregaard, Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and Belgian Thomas Pieters were at ten under, a shot clear of England's Callum Shinkwin and two ahead of another Englishman in Sam Horsfield.
Bertasio won the Alps Tour Order of Merit in 2014 and came through the Qualifying School the following year to earn his rookie season on the European Tour.
Since then he has been a very consistent performer but is still looking for a first victory in his 159th event, with nine top tens in his six seasons on Tour.
He has held the 36 hole lead twice before, including at this event in 2017 where he eventually finished 12th, and the man at 111th in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex could take his career to the next level over the weekend.
"I didn't expect anything similar from yesterday," he said of his 69. "A solid day. I didn't make many putts, the greens were a bit bumpy towards the end.
"I made three birdies out there and they were inside two feet so I didn't make much out there but I'll take it.
"A good second round in, tomorrow starts the weekend, basically a new tournament and I'm looking forward to it."
A good second round in, tomorrow starts the weekend, basically a new tournament and I'm looking forward to it
Bertasio broke out of it on the par three 13th as he was a foot from a hole-in-one and while he gave that shot back on the 15th after a poor chip, another tap-in at the third edged him ahead and he made the most of the fifth to lead by two.
Pieters holed out from 64 yards on the second for an eagle then put an approach to ten feet on the fourth and hit the green in two on the fifth to turn in 31.
He started the back nine with a bogey but picked the shot back up on the 12th before smart iron play on the 13th, 14th and 15th helped him move to ten under in a 64.
Shinkwin added five birdies to an eagle and two bogeys in a 66, a score matched by Horsfield who carded seven birdies and two bogeys.
English duo Richard Bland and Oliver Wilson, Scot Grant Forrest and Malaysian Gavin Green were at seven under.
Bertasio started the day with a four shot lead but Bjerregarrd was the first man to reel him in, holing from off the green for an eagle at the par five 12th and making the most of the driveable 15th.
A pair of 30 foot putts at the first and second had him within a shot of the lead and when he put an approach to eight feet at the fourth, he was into double figures after a 65.
Arnaus took advantage of the 12th and left himself six feet at the 18th before repeating the trick at the second and holing an 18 footer at the par three eighth to sign for a 67.
Pavon made a fast start with approaches to inside ten feet at the first and second and then got up and down on the par five fifth and put a tee shot to 15 feet at the eighth.
A 20 footer at the 11th was followed by birdie on the 12th and while he dropped a shot on the next, the 29-year-old put a bunker shot to 15 feet at the 14th and when he completed the set of birdies on the par fives at the 17th in a 64, there was a four way tie.
