First-round leader John Bickerton maintained his position at the head of the French Open field at the halfway stage yesterday, but he came under pressure from Scotsman Gary Orr who made a superb charge.

Bickerton, lying on eight under overnight, shot a one-under-par 70 to lead by one from Orr, whose 64 was the round of the day.

With Bickerton teeing off in the afternoon, he could only watch as Orr carved his way up the leaderboard in impressive style in the morning.

When he finally teed off, Bickerton knew exactly what he had to do to stay in front, and he did exactly that.

A bogey at the first was not a good start, but he holed a 30-footer at the short next and then one from three feet at the third.

A birdie at nine briefly took him to 10 under, but he dropped a shot at the 12th, and holed a 25-foot putt for birdie at the long 15th, only to bogey the 17th.

"All day I struggled with the pace of the greens; going out later they were a bit slower," said the 36-year-old. "The putt at the second was shifting - I'm glad it hit the hole.

"Yesterday they were rolling in nicely but today I was leaving a lot short on line. I'm not happy, but it's not a bad score and I'm still up there."

Padraig Harrington and Peter Lawrie lead the Irish challenge on three under par. Harrington raced out of the blocks with three birdies to get to five under, but then threw in three bogeys in four holes from the seventh. He then birdied the 13th and 17th, only to drop a shot at the last for a 70.

Lawrie, who started on the 10th, went out in two over par, but four birdies on the front nine gave him a two-under-par 69.

Gary Murphy, on one under after a 70, and Paul McGinley on one over after a 71, survived into the weekend.

But Damien McGrane, on three over after a 73, Graeme McDowell, four over after a respectable 70, and Michael Hoey on eight over missed out.

And there was drama for Philip Walton, who, after a first-round 73, was disqualified for missing his tee-time yesterday.

Orr made everyone sit up and take notice after his exploits in the morning.

He began with a birdie at the third after hitting a sand-wedge to four feet, before holing a 15-footer on the sixth and then chipping in from the edge of the green at the 450-yard seventh.

A good up-and-down from a bunker at the par-five ninth brought his fourth birdie of the day, and after adding another at the 14th he sank a 30-foot putt at the short par-four 15th and then got up and down from a bunker on 18 to save par.

"I caught it perfectly," was his assessment of the shot which saved par. "I played really well today, and to make a four like that is the icing on the cake.

"I played well yesterday and carried that on today."

New Zealander Michael Campbell began the day two behind Bickerton and that is where he finished after he found the lake guarding the 18th green to finish with a one-under 70.