DUNCAN STEWART HAS EIGHT-BIRDIE 

ROUND ON ALGARVE PRO TOUR

Duncan Stewart crammed eight birdies into a four-under-par round of 68 to be joint second in a field of 40 at the halfway stage of this week's Algarve Pro Tour event at the Seve Ballesteros-designed Quinta do Vale course near the border with Spain.

The Grantown on Spey man, pictured, birdied the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th. He dropped five shots in a five-hole span round the turn - bogeys at the sixth and eighth plus a double bogey at the 10th.

Jamie McLeary is tied fourth on 69 and Jay Taylor is sharing 10th place on 73.

Belgium's Hugues Joannes leads with a five-under-par 67.

ALGARVE PRO TOUR

Quinta do Vale golf course, Tavira.

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 72

67 Hugues Joannes (Bel)

68 Ricardo Melo Gouivea (Por), Duncan Stewart (Sco)

SELECTED SCORES

69 Jamie McLeary (Sco) (T4)

73 Jay Taylor (Sco) (T10)

Field of 40 players

ends