Sullivan takes 5-shot lead into Portugal Masters final round

A 36-hole total of 14-under at the picturesque par-71 Oceanico Victoria Golf Club put the 29-year-old in command, following ideal early conditions that are predicted to worsen over the weekend.

The 22-year-old, who was 19th in the Dunhill Links Championship and 25th in the British Masters last week, also started on the back nine and holed his approach to the 10th for an eagle before adding a birdie on the 11th.

It was only the second time in European Tour history such a thing had occurred.

His previous two wins of the season came at the Joburg Open in March and the South Africa Open in January, but victory in Portugal sees him pocket the highest cheque of his career, with £245,000 awarded to the victor in Vilamoura.

Elsewhere in the field, Belgium’s Nicolas Colsarts, who missed a putt from 18 feet to card a 59 in the first round at this tournament previous year, had the shot of the day on the par-five 12th.

“It’s always nice to back up a good score with another one”, said Sullivan.

“More of the same hopefully”, Sullivan said.

He picked up two more shots on the second and fifth and then chipped in from off the green on the 510 yard par four seventh to make it consecutive birdies on the most hard hole on the golf course.

Kells’ Damien McGrane finds himself the leading Irish player and capping his round of a four under par 67 highlighted by chipping-in from 35-feet for eagle from rough at the par five 17th.

Colsaert’s fellow Belgian Pieters, who won the Czech Masters and KLM Open in back-to-back appearances recently, was denied a share of the lead when he dropped his only shot of the day on the ninth, his final hole.

Due to the threat of bad weather, a shotgun start was employed leading to an early start and an early finish, and the same situation will be in effect on Sunday.