England’s Paul Broadhurst and Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima share the lead at the halfway stage of the Estoril Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos after a thrilling day's golf at Oitavos Golfe, Quinta da Marinha, Portugal, saw both players move to eight under par 134 – one shot ahead of the English duo of Barry Lane and Simon Dyson, who produced a brilliant course record of seven under 64.
Lima is the home favourite this week, having changed Nationalities from French to Portuguese at the end of last season after winning the Challenge Tour's Segura Viudas Challenge de España, and then the dual ranking Aa St Omer Open in consecutive weeks. The 24 year old opted to follow the nationality of his Portuguese parents and, in the process, changed his Christian name from the French Phillipe to the Portuguese Jose-Felipe.
As Portugal’s strongest hope for a first ever home victory in the history of The European Tour’s 22 year involvement with Portugal’s National Open, Lima gave the spectators plenty to cheer with a fantastic display that included seven birdies and just a single dropped shot that came at the mischievous par four 18th hole at Oitavos Golfe – a hole that claimed numerous victims during both the first and second rounds, with a stroke average of over 4.7 for the opening two days play.
Lima said: “I changed Nationality for a very simple reason – purely for my family. My mother and father are both Portuguese, I love this country and I think it is more important to play for family.
“I was a winner of a French event last year when I was a Frenchman, but I am not a winner in Portugal yet. I will try to this weekend. It’s a strange situation but I like the pressure and I think I feel good about this weekend and I will just try to play normal golf and see what happens on Sunday afternoon.”
Broadhurst has undergone something of a positive upturn in attitude since playing in the Pro-Am here at Oitavos on Wednesday. The 39 year old admitted he had no clue as to how he would perform in the tournament on Wednesday night, but after a productive chat with his mind coach, John Pates, on Thursday morning, he posted opening rounds of 68-66 to move into a share of the lead with Lima.
“I was really pleased today because on Wednesday after the Pro-Am I didn’t know how I was going to play after not playing particularly well in the Pro-Am,” said Broadhurst. “This isn’t really a course where you can go left or right, so I am pleased to be where I am. I worked hard with my mental coach yesterday morning and played steady. Then today I was very steady and I only missed one green.”
Among the second round victims of the testing 18th hole was Dyson, who, despite setting that new course record, still stumbled at the 474 yard last hole. Up until that point the Englishman had set Oitavos alight, going to the turn in six under par 30, with four birdies and an eagle three on the par five seventh hole which was engineered by an excellent drive and then brilliant four iron to just six feet.
Dyson could not replicate that stunning form on the back nine, but still managed to come home in two under par 34 and set the new course record of seven under 64. The 27 year old feels ready to score his maiden European Tour victory after coming so close at last season’s BMW Asian Open, where he finished second, and this year’s Heineken Classic where he took third place.
“Apart from the 18th, I played great all day. I never missed a fairway and I was striking it well so I was really sending it out there as well, which makes the game a hell of a lot easier. It was great to go out in 30 but I knew that the back nine is playing a lot tougher, especially when you are turning into the wind.
“I think it’s about time I had my first Tour win. If I can play like I did today then I have got a decent chance – especially if I can hole a few putts. I think that’s the main thing around this course. If you can hole a few putts and play half decent you’ll be alright.”
Lane certainly played half decent during round two, carding a 67 to join Dyson just one shot off the lead. The 44 year old winner of the 2004 Daily Telegraph Damovo British Masters has been delighted by his high level of consistency since winning at the Marriot Forest of Arden last season.
He said: “I just want to try and keep playing as well as I have been and it is just getting better and better for me. I have been hitting the ball so well over the past year or so and it is just so consistent so I am very happy. I obviously won last year and I have probably had five or six top tens from there. I finished fifth in Qatar and eighth in China earlier on this year so it is good and I am very relaxed which I think is helping me enjoy my golf.”
Englishmen Ian Garbutt and Stuart Little carded respective rounds of 66 and 67 join Scotland’s Paul Lawrie (67) and Argentina’s Cesar Monasterio (67) on six under par to lie just two shots off the lead.
With a further seven players on five under, and another six players on four under par, it is sure to be a wonderful final two days at Oitavos. The halfway cut fell at two over par, with 75 players set to battle for the €208,330 first prize.
