18 Oct 2008

Karlsson on top to be Europe's number one

10:23 am on 18 October 2008

The Swedish golfer Robert Karlsson continues to hold the upper hand in the race to finish the year as Europe's number one after ending the second round of the Portugal Masters three shots off the lead.

Briton Stuart Manley with a four-under-par 68 has created an 11-under total to earn a one-stroke cushion over Spain's Alvaro Quiros.

The first prize of 500,000 euros would take money-list leader Karlsson within a whisker of clinching his first order of merit title ahead of the season-ending Volvo Masters but a last-hole bogey meant he had to settle for a round of 67.

New Zealand's Mark Brown has missed the cut.