DAVID HIGGINS maintained his strong challenge for a first European Tour victory and John Me Henry took the first positive step towards regaining his Tour card in the Oki Pro Am in Madrid yesterday.

The Waterville rookie professional put in a storming finish on the La Moraleja club's tricky Number One course to score a second 70 and a five under par halfway total of 139. It put him one shot behind an inspired Seve Ballesteros whose spectacular 66 on the more modern Number Two course that staged the 1992 World Cup gave him a share of the lead with fellow Spaniard Pedro Linhart, England's Stuart Cage and Swede Joakim Haeggman.

Higgins is among a group of seven that includes American Ryder Cup captain Tom Kite who responded to his European counterpart's heroics by returning a 68 that included five birdies in the first 10 holes.

McHenry had a second round 70 for a three under par total of 141 that put him high among the qualifiers for the final 36 holes of the £450,000 penultimate event of the season. McHenry has been granted a medical exemption following an operation.

It means in practice that he has 14 events, including this one, to earn the necessary £35,000 to be re installed as a member of the all exempt circuit.

Five birdies in his outing on Number One underlined his belief that he is playing well after his long lay off which prevented him from starting serious practice until four weeks ago. Two of them were twos at the second and fourth which helped him out in 34. He covered the inward half in level par.

Higgins has already won his Tour card for he has collected over £58,000 prize money and fills 106th place in the Volvo Ranking from which the first 117 will form the nucleus of the all exempt circuit in 1997. He stumbled just after the turn, by failing to hit the green at the 10th and then going into water with his approach to the long 12th. But birdies from 15 and five feet at the 14th and 15th, and another five yards putt for a birdie four at the last had him in a happy frame of mind. However Des Smyth bowed out with a second 75.

Francis Howley's first European Tour campaign ended with an 80 and a nine over par total of 153.