During another unseasonable day of wind and rain in Portugal, Paul McGinley produced a respectable, three-over-par 75 to lie just four shots of the pace being set by Jeff Remesy of France. Only eight players in a field of 156 finished below par.
The Dubliner is on one-over-par total of 145. Remesy carded an admirable second round of 69 to be three-under for the tournament.
Ireland's three veteran competitors this week, Philip Walton, Des Smyth and Eamon Darcy, all snuck through on the cut mark, five-over-par 149. Walton fired a fine 72, Smyth had 73 while Darcy struggled to a 76.
But Cork's John McHenry never got going and finished with an 81 to miss the cut by 10 strokes.
Remesy has made 12 consecutive visits to the Tour school, from 1987, that took him to the brink of quitting the game.
"When I missed out at the Tour school I was very disappointed. After missing out again I seriously thought about giving up," said the 34-year-old from Cannes.
"Last year I was always in the race to keep my card but missed the last six cuts and missed a card. I wasn't prepared for the qualifying school and failed to get a card there.
"I didn't play until February but eventually decided I wanted to play. I worked with a sports psychologist over the winter and have been feeling better in my mind. I've started to believe in myself.
"I made the cut in a Challenge Tour event in Kenya and then in Madeira before winning the French PGA Championships last week in a play-off."
The cut fell at five over par, the highest on tour this year, but that was well out of reach of English teenager Justin Rose, who finished 14 over to miss his 17th consecutive cut.
Meanwhile, Spain's Carl Suneson created a small piece of history with the longest drive recorded on the European Tour, with a tee shot - albeit wind-assisted - of 395 yards on the par-four 10th that finished just two yards short of the green.
England's David Carter produced a storming finish to move to within a shot of the lead. The 26-year-old bounced back from an outward half of 39 to come back in three-under 33, the best of the day, to complete a battling level-par 72.
Andrew Raitt compiled an excellent 70 to finish alongside Carter in a three-way tie for second alongside Sweden's Niclas Fasth.
Sergio Garcia has confirmed that he is to make his professional debut at the Spanish Open next week. His move to the paid ranks was announced in a press release from the European Tour yesterday. It brings to an end a spectacular amateur career for the player nicknamed `El Nino'.
