Friday 25 October 2019 19:54, UK
Oliver Fisher moved a big step closer to retaining his European Tour card by moving into a one-shot lead at the Portugal Masters.
A year on from carding the first sub-60 round in European Tour history at the event, Fisher posted a second successive 65 at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course to head into the weekend top of the leaderboard.
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Fisher, 112th on the Race to Dubai, holds a one-shot advantage over Justin Walters and Jeunghun Wang, with South Africa's Brandon Stone two off the pace and Eddie Pepperell in the group tied-fifth alongside Haydn Porteous.
"I played really well the first two rounds last week, the driving was better in France," Fisher said. "I just got on some bad runs around that course, which can happen.
"The first two rounds I hit the ball well. I didn't quite hit it as well today, but it was windy. The south-easterly wind makes a few drives tricky. I'm pleased to hit 65, I'm looking forward to the weekend."
Beginning the day two strokes off the pace, Fisher followed a birdie at the third with a pitch-in eagle at the next and cancelled a blemish at the sixth by rolling in from six feet at the 11th.
Fisher made a two-putt birdie at the driveable 15th and rolled in a 15-footer at the par-four next, before knocking his approach at the par-five 17th to four feet and converting the eagle.
A final-hole bogey halved Fisher's lead over Wang - who matched his 65 - and Walters, who mixed six birdies with a sole blemish on his way to a bogey-free 66.
Three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn gave Stone a bogey-free 66 and temporarily set the clubhouse target, while Porteous birdied four of his last six holes to join Pepperell on nine under.
Overnight leader Louis de Jager struggled to a one-over 72 to drop in to the group tied-ninth that contains Jamie Donaldson and defending champion Tom Lewis, with top seed Matt Wallace seven strokes back following a one-under 71.
Watch the Portugal Masters throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf.
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