Des Smyth was the very model of a seasoned old pro after retaining the lead on six-under-par in the £400,000 Algarve Portuguese Open here at Penina yesterday. "Ideally, I'd love to have given it a rip and gone to 10-under, but you've got to be realistic at my age," he said with a quiet smile.

As shadows lengthened and winds brushed the trees, the 46-year-old felt he would probably be a stroke off the lead after a second-round 72. In a dramatic, late turnabout, however, Sweden's Fredrik Jacobsen dropped two strokes over the closing four holes to slip from seven-under to a share of second place.

Among those a stroke further back is Scotland's Paul Lawrie, who is seeking a second successive victory having captured the Qatar Masters two weeks ago. Lawrie saw a solid 69 as a reward for intensive practice last week when he spent three six-hour days, hitting balls with compatriot Adam Hunter.

But the magic failed to extend to his playing partner and the 1982 champion here, Sam Torrance, who was clearly feeling his 45 years when crashing to a dispiriting 80 for 149 - two strokes outside the halfway cut.

Meanwhile, Jacobsen, who joined American Bob May on five under, attempted to come to terms with his own slide, albeit a lot less damaging. "I was feeling extremely good until the last few holes," he said. "Then it started to get cold and we had to wait for a ruling in front. It meant I lost my rhythm and I couldn't get it back."

Not surprisingly, Smyth's mood was a lot more buoyant. "The greens became crusty in the afternoon and it was generally quite difficult out there," he said. "It was a workmanlike day for me.

There was certainly no point in deluding myself that I could shoot another 66."

Chilling north-westerlies maintained a searching challenge, yet Roger Chapman returned a sparkling 65, including six birdies and an eagle, to become a most improbable qualifier after an opening 78. "Amazing," said the 39-year-old Englishman. "It was probably because I simply didn't care after hearing the news from home about my eight-year-old son."

Having started on the 10th, Smyth's progress was a lot less dramatic than on the opening day. In fact, he looked somewhat vulnerable when a pushed five iron hung on the bank to the right of the short 13th, defying gravity and a drop into water. In the circumstances, he had no complaint with a bogey.

A determination to maintain his challenge at the top of the leaderboard, however, was reflected in a birdie at the 15th, where he holed a priceless 35-footer. And after a three-putt bogey from off the front of the 17th, Smyth completed a level-par back nine with a birdie at the long 18th where a testing, 12-footer downhill found the target.

That was sufficient to steady the ship. From then on, he made four strong pars with the assurance of a consummate craftsman, before carding an expected birdie at the long fifth. On seven-under for the tournament, however, he made his only serious blunder of the round.

It came at the short sixth, where he escaped brilliantly from a greenside bunker, only to miss an 18-inch par putt. "I don't know what happened," he said. "I just made a really bad stroke at it."

Still, smiling inwardly at all the young bucks in his wake, he retired happy to his hotel room with thoughts of another exciting day.