Padraig Harrington is not expecting an easy weekend at Victoria Clube de Golfe despite some very low scoring over the first two rounds of the Portugal Masters.
The three-time Major Championship winner joined the party on Friday with a 63 that saw him sit just a shot off the lead jointly held by Marc Warren and defending champion Andy Sullivan at 14 under - the lowest 36-hole total this season without preferred lies.
Sullivan and Richie Ramsay both recorded season low rounds of 61, with the prospect of a first 59 in European Tour history being the talk of the course all week.
Harrington, however, has seen it all before and the 45 year old believes the course could well show some teeth when the pressure is on.
It's going to be tougher for the leaders - Padraig Harrington
"It's an interesting course," he said. "There are some shots to be hit, like if you want to hit the fairway on 18, you've got to hit a good shot. Seven is the same. If you want to hit the fairway, you've got to hit a good shot.
"That's harder when you're leading the tournament and you've got something to protect. Lining up and aiming at the water down seven and hitting the right shot to hit the fairway, it takes a bit when you've got something to protect. It's not so hard to do when you're in the middle of the pack.
"You will see guys tend to charge very well on this golf course. You will see somebody shoot 14 under par on the weekend, no doubt about it. But not all the leaders are going to do it. It's going to be tougher for the leaders."
The Irishman is not familiar with battling at the wrong end of the Race to Dubai, having finished in the top ten for ten out of 12 seasons between 1997 and 2008.
Swede Jens Fahrbring who sits alongside him at 13 under has no such luxury and at 174th in the rankings, will need a top two finish to have any chance of keeping his playing privileges for 2017.
"I've nothing to lose," he said. "I thought I pretty much had to win to get into the top 110. So I need to go out and make birdies and try to win.
"I've been hitting my driver well and out here on some holes the rough isn't that thick, so you can take advantage of that. Just hit it as hard as you can on some holes.
"I'm hitting my wedges okay and I've been rolling in a few putts, so that's nice."
American David Lipsky sits a shot behind the third-placed duo at 12 under but he has no concerns over his card, sitting 64th on the Race to Dubai.
His aim is getting into the top 60 to play in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and he plans to enjoy his weekend in Vilamoura.
"It will be fun and it's going to be a shootout and I've just got to get ready for that," he said. "Just stay aggressive.
"It's not too often where you're aiming at pins with mid-to-long irons and this is one of those courses. I'm just going to get ready for that and work on that and see what happens tomorrow."
