European and US Tours:Ross McGowan, a professional for only four months and playing just his second European Tour event, leads the Portuguese Open at Quinta da Marinha at the halfway stage.

Last year's English amateur champion had his second successive 68 for a six-under-par total of 136 and enters this weekend at Oitavos two ahead of compatriot Nick Dougherty.

Ireland's Peter Lawrie is seven shots off the lead after yesterday's one-under-par second round, while Gary Murphy is a shot further back.

Paul McGinley, on four-over, just survived the cut. However, Damien McGrane's and amateur Rory McIlroy's interest in the competition has ended.

Still in with a great chance, though, is Paul Broadhurst, trying to become only the fifth player in Tour history to win a tournament three years in a row.

The former Ryder Cup player, attempting to emulate Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods, is four behind the leader.

Overnight leader Simon Dyson opened the door to McGowan by going to the turn in 41, en route to a 74, and the 24-year-old, ranked only 683rd in the world, accepted the invitation.

Despite the distractions of amateur partner Antonio Rosado dropping 12 shots in his first seven holes - seven of them in the first two - McGowan turned in a three-under 33 and added a fourth birdie at the long 13th.

He did bogey the 167-yard next, but the ex-American university student parred in from there in the gathering gloom.

McGowan is playing on a sponsor's invitation, having failed to win a Tour card at last November's qualifying school.

If he triumphs on Sunday, however, he will not only be over €200,000 richer, but will be exempt for the rest of this season and the next two years.

Dougherty is the same age, but has already had a real rollercoaster ride in his six years on the circuit. He was rookie of the year in 2002 and won the Singapore Masters two years ago, but went four months without making a cut last year.

Joint third on three under are Scot Stephen Gallacher, English pair Benn Barham and Graeme Storm, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Swede Alexander Noren.

(British unless stated, Irish in bold, par 71)

(x) denotes amateurs

136 - R McGowan 68 68.

138 - N Dougherty 69 69.

139 - S Gallacher 68 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 70 69, A Noren (Swe) 71 68, B Barham 72 67, G Storm 72 67.

140 - T Teshima (Jpn) 71 69, L Claverie (Spa) 72 68, P Broadhurst 69 71, S Struver (Ger) 70 70, R Bland 71 69.

141 - G Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 70 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 72 69, D Bransdon (Aus) 71 70, S Dyson 67 74, S Khan 73 68, E Little 72 69.

142 - P Edberg (Swe) 71 71, D Lynn 71 71, A Forsyth 73 69, M Jonzon (Swe) 71 71.

143 - A Canizares (Spa) 71 72, F Molinari (Ita) 72 71, P Lawrie 73 70, E Canonica (Ita) 73 70, G Orr 70 73, JM Lara (Spa) 72 71, A Tadini (Ita) 77 66, E Molinari (Ita) 72 71, (x) P Martin (Spa) 73 70.

144 - D Vancsik (Arg) 72 72, G Emerson 72 72, B Lane 69 75, M Eliasson (Swe) 74 70, G Murphy 73 71, S Luna (Spa) 73 71, G Lockerbie 71 73, M Foster 77 67, O Fisher 73 71, H Otto (Rsa) 73 71, P Lawrie 72 72, S Drummond 75 69, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 76 68, A Quiros (Spa) 74 70, L James 73 71.

145 - T Whitehouse 74 71, C Suneson (Spa) 74 71, V Phillips 75 70, A Oldcorn 76 69, H Nystrom (Swe) 76 69, J Axgren (Swe) 71 74, J Lomas 76 69, R-J Derksen (Ned) 70 75, D Griffiths 76 69, C Schwartzel (Rsa) 74 71, S Hansen (Den) 73 72, S Kjeldsen (Den) 72 73, J Spence 72 73, S Little 72 73, M Higley 72 73.

146 - B Davis 76 70, J Bickerton 74 72, M Brier (Aut) 75 71, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 76 70, A Mork (Fra) 73 73, T Cruz (Por) 70 76, J-F Lima (Por) 75 71, P McGinley 76 70, G Havret (Fra) 72 74, S O'Hara 73 73, I Garbutt 73 73, JM Arruti (Spa) 75 71.

Missed the cut: 147 - A Romero (Arg) 80 67, O Wilson 72 75, D McGrane 77 70, RC Bello (Spa) 75 72, (x) P Figueiredo (Por) 73 74, P Hedblom (Swe) 72 75, S Webster 74 73. 148 - P Archer 74 74, D Frost (Rsa) 77 71, M Tunnicliff 76 72, R McEvoy 76 72, S Bebb 75 73, S Alker (Nzl) 76 72, S Webster 75 73, B Hafthorsson (Ice) 78 70, M Quiros (Spa) 75 73, A Raitt 73 75, G Houston 74 74, S Richardson 72 76. 149 - JF Remesy (Fra) 72 77, P Hanson (Swe) 77 72, A McLardy (Rsa) 73 76, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 75 74, R Echenique (Arg) 71 78, S Walker 75 74, A Tampion (Aus) 76 73, C Cevaer (Fra) 76 73, S Wakefield 78 71, P Sjoland (Swe) 76 73, L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 68 81, D Drysdale 76 73, M Pilkington 75 74, A Coltart 75 74. 150 - A Haig (Rsa) 76 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 76 74, S Dodd 75 75, C Rodiles (Spa) 75 75, J Sandelin (Swe) 78 72, F Delamontagne (Fra) 75 75, W Ormsby (Aus) 80 70, J Parron (Spa) 77 73, A Sobrinho (Por) 76 74, JG del Moral (Spa) 74 76, P Price 76 74, N Begay (USA) 73 77, M Richardson 75 75, I Garrido (Spa) 73 77, H Santos (Por) 77 73. 151 - T Price (Aus) 73 78, JM Carriles (Spa) 77 74, R Wiederkehr (Swi) 77 74, F Calmels (Fra) 81 70, C Nilsson (Swe) 78 73, (x) R McIlroy 79 72. 152 - A Canete (Arg) 79 73, J Hepworth 77 75, S Nash (Aus) 78 74, R Santos (Por) 80 72, P Golding 77 75, A Marshall 78 74. 153 - D Carter 77 76, J Backstrom (Swe) 75 78, R Rock 79 74, W Bennett 78 75.

Second Round Scores