Francesco Molinari continued his impressive form in the Portugal Masters to take a one shot lead over Charl Schwartzel into the weekend.
The Italian added a second round 66 to his opening 63 to reach 15 under at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course, while South African Schwartzel produced a fine round of 65.
Ireland’s three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington was in sensational form as he looks to keep his Race to Dubai hopes alive, carding a ten under par 62 to move into third place on 13 under.
Molinari has an extra reason for wanting to shine this week - to open the gap again between himself and his older brother on the World Rankings.
Edoardo, US Amateur champion in 2005, is top of The Challenge Tour and has improved to 112th. Francesco is currently 70th.
"I need to play well or he will overtake me," said the 26 year old. "I'm trying to keep up with him, but it is pretty difficult because he is either winning or finishing second every week."
After covering the back nine in 31 for the second day running and then adding another birdie at the second the all-time European Tour 36 hole record of 18 under was a possibility, but he played the remaining seven holes in level par.
Faced with the daunting prospect of making up 12 shots after Italian Molinari added a morning 66, Harrington reduced his deficit to only two with a spectacular 62 despite the wind picking up just as he resumed.
The 38 year old Dubliner even had a putt on the last to lower his all-time best round on The European Tour, but on his own admission mishit it from 18 feet.
"Pity I didn't give it a better run," he said. "I played the tough holes really well and that gave me the opportunity to shoot a really good score. It could even have been the magic number."
Nobody has ever managed a round of 59 on The European Tour.
Such has been the birdie barrage so far, though, that there was a chance Molinari would not even stay out in front on his own.
He was joined later when South African Schwartzel had a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th, but then came a closing bogey for a second successive 65.
Even though he felt uncomfortable with his putting Harrington also turned in 31, but four successive birdies from the 14th turned it into a special round.
"I changed my putter, which put me off and I've not got my confidence back," he said.
"I spotted I was doing something I don't normally do and that distracted the hell out of me. I'm also making a few mistakes here and there, but they didn't cost me today."
Schwartzel said: “I played pretty well. I putted better than yesterday. You need to make a few putts, and I did that and I've hit the ball well, so good position.
“You can easily start missing a few putts and get down on yourself, because everyone is making. Every time you look on the leaderboard, someone is making a birdie, so it was nice to make a couple of birdies.”
