Amateur Pat Errity of The European Club signed for a level par round of 71 to remain two under par and in a share of sixth place on day two of the European Senior Tour Qualifying School at Pestana Golf Resort’s Vale da Pinta Course in Portugal – and four shots off the lead.
Jimmy Heggarty is 2 over par after a round of 72 to share 31st place.
Eoin Feely ended the day with a 77 but was disqualified.
Steve Van Vuuren of South Africa holds a one stroke lead at the half-way point of the European Senior Tour Qualifying School after a second consecutive three under par-68 in his bid to win a full card for the Senior Tour for the first time.
Van Vuuren birdied the first hole then picked up further shots on the eighth and tenth holes before his only bogey of the day on the 11th, when he over clubbed and sent the ball 15 yards beyond the green.
A further birdie on the 17th hole regained that shot and moved him to six under par, one stroke clear of Australian Graham Banister with 36 holes remaining at Senior Tour Qualifying School.
“It was a solid round just like yesterday although I missed three greens today compared to only the one yesterday,” said Van Vuuren.
“Maybe I need to putt a little better than I have been but I’m happy with the round and I’d take four rounds of 68. Leading after two rounds is a nice position to be in.”
Van Vuuren played six times on the Senior Tour in 2010, bookending his season with top 20 finishes in Mauritius and Sicily to finish 77th on the Order of Merit. He is trying to secure a full card for 2011 after his exemption expired for the Sunshine Tour, on which he has won eight times.
Keeping up the pressure on Van Vuuren is Banister, who carded a rather eventful 69 to move to five under par.
American Tim Thelen, who had a share of the overnight lead with Gordon Manson and Peter Dahlberg, also endured a disastrous hole, double bogeying the 16th to card a level par 71 and lie two strokes off the pace.
Swede Dahlberg and Austrian Manson are a further shot back after rounds of 72, while there are five players tied for sixth place on two under par; Scottish pair Terry Burgoyne and Peter Smith, Irish amateur Pat Errity, Spaniard Manuel Moreno and American Mitch Thomas.
Victor Garcia finished five over par overall after a round of 77 on Tuesday in share of 50th place.
