Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari rocketed up the leaderboard at the Portugal Masters with a sizzling 10-under-par 62 on Friday to put himself within five strokes of halfway pacesetter Maarten Lafeber.
The Italian carded a dismal 74 in his opening round to be 10 shots off the lead, but a flawless effort has lifted him up to a tie for 11th on nine-under 136 on the Algarve.
Molinari, seeking his first win this season and only his second on the European Tour, carded five birdies before and after the turn, coming home with three in a row after starting on the back nine at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course.
His older brother Edoardo was tied for 37th on 139 with Miguel Angel Jimenez after the Ryder Cup pair shot 71 and 69 respectively -- one shot behind Europe teammate Ross Fisher, who carded 70.
Lafeber, whose only European Tour win came on home Dutch soil in 2003, was joint first-round leader after an opening 64 which featured 11 birdies.
The 35-year-old started in fine shape again as he eagled the par-four second hole and birdied five and six, but bogeys at eight and 17 meant he finished with a 67 -- still enough for a two-shot lead.
"It's been a long year, but my dad has been seriously ill and we had our second baby, so a lot has been going on this year," Lafeber, who has secured his playing card for next season, told the European Tour website.
"I've been very consistent this year. I've only missed three cuts, but I haven't had four good rounds. I just kept on working hard and I found my putting touch the last couple of weeks, and it shows."
The world No. 340's nearest challenger is Finnish golfer Mikko Ilonen, who carded a 68 to go with his opening 65.
Ilonen, a two-time title winner in 2007, is only nine places outside the 60 players who will qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championship in November.
"You think of getting back to the winner's category and that's been one of my goals for this year," he said.
"I've been knocking on the door a few times this year, playing in the last group in China, didn't quite finish it off. But you know, it's been better the last year, anyway."
Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin shot a second 67 to be tied for third with Portugal's Jose Filipe Lima, who fired 64 to be a stroke behind Ilonen.
Former European No. 1 Robert Karlsson, who had shared Thursday's lead with Lafeber and fellow Swede Johan Edfors, fell back to a tie for fifth on 135 after posting a 71 marred by three bogeys in the middle of his round.
Edfors was another stroke adrift in a group of 14 with Molinari, three birdies canceling three bogeys in his 72.
New Zealand's 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell failed to make his first halfway cut this season after following his opening 67 with a 77. Double-bogeys at his final two holes meant he missed the mark of 140.
English duo Chris Wood and Simon Khan were among notable names to miss the weekend rounds, along with Ryder Cup vice-captain Darren Clarke.
Meanwhile, Ryder Cup star Padraig Harrington took the outright lead after the second round of the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia on Friday.
The Irish three-time major winner shot five-under-par 67 to end the day one shot clear of Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang, who carded 65.
His Europe team captain Colin Montgomerie shot 71 to be 10 shots off the pace on 141.
