VILAMOURA, Portugal: Swedish pair Robert Karlsson and Johan Edfors shared a three-way lead with Dutchman Maarten Lafeber in the Portugal Masters here Thursday. All three shot eight-under-par rounds of 64 at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course with another Swede, Alexander Noren, and Finland's Mikko Ilonen a shot further back. Karlsson and Edfors both hit perfect rounds that included eight birdies in conditions which proved to their liking. “I think with this kind of set-up, with not so much rough, that's very often what we play in Sweden,” Karlsson told www.europeantour.com. “It's a bit similar to Swedish golf, and the speed of the greens as well are not super fast. I think we are very used to playing this type of golf on our home courses where we grew up.” Karlsson started his round on the 10th, picking up birdies on his first, the 12th, the 16th and the 17th. Coming back he picked up shots at two, three, four and six. Edfors produced five birdies in the back nine to add to the three he earned on the way out to hold off Lafeber, who might have held the lead on his own after nine birdies but for a double bogey on the par-four 18th. Of Europe's Ryder Cup stars, England's Ross Fisher and Italy's Edoardo Molinari were best placed after shooting four-under-par rounds of 68. Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez was two shots further back, while Francesco Molinari looked set to miss the cut after carding a two-over-par 74. David Horsey was the best-placed Englishman on six under, alongside veteran Irishman Paul McGinley. Harrington shares lead Padraig Harrington had two eagles on the last three holes to shoot an 8-under 64 Thursday and take a share of the first-round lead at the Iskandar Johor Open. Harrington opened his round with three straight birdies and finished it off with eagles on the 16th and 18th to sit tied with Marcus Both of Australia and Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand at the Asian Tour event. “It was nice to finish eagle, par, eagle,” Harrington said. “That's a rare thing to do.” Harrington drove the green on the par-4 314-yard 16th hole and sank an 18-foot eagle putt. He then made a 25-footer at the par-5 18th despite gusty winds that greeted afternoon session players. The 21-year-old Kiradech, a former junior world champion, had one eagle and seven birdies, while Both - a two-time Asian Tour winner - had a bogey-free round with eight birdies. Kiradech and Both reached the turn in 31 and were 8 under through 12 holes before the winds picked up at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in Malaysia's southern Johor state. Current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Noh Seung-yul of South Korea was two shots back in a tie for fourth place with countryman Lee Sung. Six players were another shot back in a tie for sixth.
