Manley magic just in time but Monty's slide goes on

Stuart Manley, a schoolboy football starlet who had a trial with Manchester United, is about to find out how good a golfer he is. The 29-year-old from Mountain Ash in Wales has never had a top 10 finish on the European Tour since turning professional in 2003, but at halfway in the Portugal Masters he is 11 under par and one ahead of the Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.

From the depths of 174th on the Order of Merit and 575th in the world Manley followed up his opening 65 – the lowest round of his Tour career – with a 68 yesterday.

While Colin Montgomerie headed home after missing his fourth cut in his last five starts, Manley looked ahead to the test that he realises the final 36 holes will be.

“I know what I’ve got to do,” said the 2003 Walker Cup hero, who has his wife, brother, parents and a couple of friends in Vilamoura cheering him on. “I just have to commit really. If the shots don’t come off they don’t come off, but as long as I commit and go out there and give myself a chance that’s all I can ask for.”

Leader by one overnight, he had been overtaken by the time he reached the turn in 36 on his return to the Oceanico Victoria course. But then came a chip-in par on the 11th, a four-iron to six feet for an eagle at the 547-yard next and birdies at the 15th and 16th. His change of fortunes follows a dressing-down from his coach Pete Cowen two weeks ago. “It wasn’t a rollicking, just a bit of a telling off. He said I should be spending four hours on my short game and one hour on the long game,” he said.

The former Open champion Paul Lawrie is hoping this will be the weekend when he returns to winning ways. Less than three months away from his 40th birthday Lawrie, whose last success was the 2002 Wales Open, had a seven-birdie 65 to move to nine under and joint third with Swede Magnus Carlsson. “I’ve been playing good golf for a while, but holed a few putts today,” said the Scot. “It’s disappointing to be 96th on the Order of Merit – I’m a better player than that – but you never realise how hard the game is until you struggle with the putter.”

The order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson could yet record his third successive victory, a 67 lifting him from 17th to joint fifth on eight under.

Lee Westwood, third in the standings, matched that round to stay three behind the Swede, but after running up a seven at the 17th in his opening 72 he went in the lake there again on his return and took six. “The marvellous 17th,” he said. “That was the most disappointing thing. I was six under and should have been nine or 10 under.”