Peter Lawrie and Gareth Maybin took up the Irish challenge as Padraig Harrington failed to keep pace with Retief Goosen at the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura today. Lawrie and Maybin both shot 65s to reach 15 under but remain five adrift of the South African’s lead.

Harrington was partnering Goosen and after his dazzling 62 yesterday — it matched the low round of his career — the Dubliner was unable to make inroads today.

Goosen, chasing his first European Tour victory for more than two and a half years, fired a second successive 64 to move from three behind Italian Francesco Molinari to one in front.

That included pitching in for eagle at the second and chipping in for birdie at the 15th.

Goosen had three defeats and a half there and was even left out of one session, but now he is on course for a first prize of €500,000 at Oceanico Vilamoura.

He is also the first man in Europe this season to reach 20 under after 54 holes.

Lee Westwood lies third on 17 under after a two-birdie finish gave him a 66, and second place will almost certainly be good enough tomorrow to take him top of the European money list.

Rory McIlroy, who took over the number one spot at St Andrews less than two weeks ago, is down in 53rd place and admits he is powerless to prevent his stablemate going above him.

But Westwood mimicked Seve Ballesteros when he said: “Second eez is no good.

“That’s what Billy (his caddie Billy Foster) keeps telling me. It’s what Seve always said to him when they were together. I’m not even thinking about the money list. I’m just trying to win the Portugal Masters, and that’s hard enough.”

Goosen, out-scoring playing partner Harrington by seven, had already birdied the first when he sank his approach to the next.

He was already seven under for the day when he two-putted the 547-yard 12th — Harrington was in the lake there — but found water himself off the 14th tee and dropped his only shot.

Chipping in on the next was a real bonus and he added another birdie at the 17th.

Harrington’s 71 dropped him from third to ninth and he now has six shots to make up, while Justin Rose — second after an opening 65 — is down to 19th on 11 under after a 70.

McIlroy has struggled on the greens all week and on five under commented: “Even if I shoot a really good score here I’m not going to get anywhere. In terms of the Race to Dubai it’s not going to make any difference what I do tomorrow.

“I’m now thinking towards the Match Play.” His next event is the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain starting on Thursday week.