Golf: Pettersson reeled in

Swede Carl Pettersson’s massive overnight lead was wiped out in the space of just eight holes in the delayed Algarve Open de Portugal this morning.

Pettersson was six shots clear of the field after six holes of his second round before play was abandoned yesterday due to strong winds at Vale do Lobo.

The 24-year-old had just bogeyed the sixth hole before play was halted for the second and final time shortly after 5pm, after three early birdies had stretched his lead to seven shots at one stage.

And things went from bad to worse on the resumption today as he topped a fairway wood on the seventh on his way to a double-bogey six, and although he followed that with a birdie on the next, another bogey on the ninth left him on six-under-par.

Another shot was dropped on the 10th before a double-bogey on the par three 11th, the hole causing most of the problems with its exposed green beside the Atlantic Ocean seeing balls move on the green, and even the tee, in the high winds.

The former European amateur champion steadied the ship with two pars before another bogey on the 14th dropped him back to two-under-par and into a tie for the lead with Crewe’s David Gilford and compatriot Henrik Nystrom.

Gilford, the former Ryder Cup player, was playing in the group ahead of Pettersson and had picked up three birdies and two bogeys in between another short stoppage of play because of more high winds.

Nystrom was playing the best golf of the day, going out in level par 35 and picking up birdies at the fourth and fifth to join the leaders.

They were now just one clear of the chasing pack with Mansfield’s Greg Owen and Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin no doubt feeling increasingly pleased at being safely in the clubhouse on one-under-par after completing their second rounds yesterday.

The predicted cut score was increasing all the time and currently stood at eight-over-par, meaning defending champion Phillip Price was on course to qualify for the final two rounds.

Price, whose victory 12 months ago was pivotal in his qualification for the European Ryder Cup team in September, had added a 78 to his opening 74 yesterday and watched as the cut mark went up from four-over to eight-over.