Heat playing hell with McDowell and Hoey

GRAEME MCDOWELL was close to throwing up while fellow Irishman Michael Hoey just had trouble simply keeping his trousers up on day two of the rain affected Barclays Singapore Open.

McDowell picked up the same mystery bug as his caddy, Ken Comboy and despite feeling unwell and seriously dehydrated, the former US Open champion looks set to make the cut.

Close to three hours was lost near lunch when an electrical storm hit the Sentosa course. It meant 69 players, including the Irish pair of Pádraig Harrington and Peter Lawrie, having to complete their second round early today.

England’s James Morrison continues to head the field after carding a 68 and moving to 12-under par with Hoey recording a 66 to tied with Dane Anders Hansen (64) at nine under par. McDowell, who had signed for a level par 71 to remain at three under par, rushed straight to the locker room after his round looking unwell.

McDowell revealed: “I just felt very lacklustre for the first nine holes and when the siren sounded to halt play it was very welcome. It just gave me the chance to come back to the locker room and get a lot more fluids into me.

“The heat and humidity out this part of the world only seems to magnify how poorly I am feeling. So to shoot a level par 71 was pretty good.

Hoey had trouble holding up his trousers when he finished with a 66 that included seven birdie and a seventh hole double bogey when he found a water hazard that handed him a share of fifth place on nine under par.

Hoey, the recent Alfred Dunhill Links champion, had been struggling with his trousers belt all round and it finally broke on the final green. Hoey walked to the scorer’s hut holding onto his trousers before managing to entice his caddy, Owen Craig to part with his belt.