Lightning storm halts Dougherty title charge

Published on Friday 7 March 2008 09:31

NICK DOUGHERTY was tied for the lead with local favourite Danny Chia on 12 under when play was suspended at the Maybank Malaysian Open this afternoon due to lightning at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club.

Dougherty, the overnight pace-setter after a spectacular ten-under-par 62 in the opening round, was two under for the day through ten holes when a storm resulted in a stoppage of play in mid-afternoon.

The 25-year-old Englishman had birdied the opening hole before dropping his first stroke of the tournament with a bogey at the second.

He recovered to birdie the fifth and seventh, drawing level with Chia before play was halted at about 3.45pm local time.

Chia had taken the lead after following up his opening 65 with a five-under 67 in the morning.

The 35-year-old from nearby Seremban started on the back nine and birdied three of his first seven holes to move to ten under before dropping his only stroke of the day with a bogey at the 18th.

He recovered to birdie the third and finished his round with a flourish with back-to-back birdies on the tricky eighth and ninth.

Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen is in third place on 11 under after following his opening 65 with a second-round 68 that included an eagle and three birdies.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell also moved into contention on ten under after a four-under-par 68.

The 28-year-old Ulsterman enjoyed a good start to his round with three birdies on his first five holes but parred the next 12 holes before picking up his fourth birdie of the day on the last.

"I stayed patient and played great yesterday but this morning, I don't know if the pins are a bit tucked away but it was a little frustrating to birdie three of the first five and then play the next 12 with the handbrakes on," he said. "It was nice to birdie the last, though, so four under is not bad but I would have like to have picked up a few more."

Rafael Echenique of Argentina birdied three of his first five holes to go to nine under, tied for fifth with Portugal's Jose Manuel Lara (67), Holland's Robert-Jan Derksen (69) and Carlos Rodiles of Spain (69), who completed their rounds in the morning.

Defending champion Peter Hedblom of Sweden was eight under through 11 holes, tied with India's SSP Chowrasia and Marcus Fraser, who had played 11 and six holes respectively.

Darren Clarke (68), Gary Murphy (67), Graeme Storm (68) and Oliver Wilson (71) were all handily placed on seven under after the morning session.

&#149 BART BRYANT holds a one-shot lead after the rain- shortened first round of the PODS Championship in Florida.

Bryant fired a six-under-par 65 at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, holing six birdies – including a pair on his final two holes – in a bogey-free round. Play was halted due to rain with 82 golfers still on the course.

Kenny Perry, Jeff Maggert and Stewart Cink are all one stroke behind Bryant at five-under 66.

Defending champion Mark Calcavecchia was at one under after 13 holes before rain ended his day.

Ernie Els , who posted his first PGA Tour title in over three years when he was victorious in The Honda Classic last week, was level par after six.