Golf: Lewis leads halfway

American Stacey Lewis opened up a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore yesterday with a second-round 66.

The world No 5 shot six birdies in a bogey-free round which was joint-best of the day with South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn. Scotland’s Catriona Matthew is six shots off the lead after carding a three-under 69 but England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff fell further off the pace with a 71.

Coetzee edges clear

TSHWANE OPEN: Charl Coetzee shot a 7-under 65 to hold the clubhouse lead by one at the Tshwane Open in South Africa when a thunderstorm halted play in the second round. South African Coetzee was at 12 under, Mark Tullo of Chile was next, while another home player Dawie Van Der Walt was also at 11 under after 14 holes. A total of 54 out of 156 players were unable to complete their round, including Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, who needs to birdie one of his closing two holes to make the cut.

Hoey tops the bill

CHALLENGE TOUR: The European Challenge Tour will return to Northern Irish shores for the first time in ten years when Galgorm Castle Golf Club, Ballymena, hosts the Northern Ireland Open Challenge from 29 August to 1 September. Michael Hoey, a four-time winner on the European Tour, will headline the field, hoping to add to his trophy haul, having also won three times on the Challenge Tour. The staging of the Irish Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club in 2012 proved an unprecedented success.