Lawrie aiming to go one better

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie will have to play 36 holes tomorrow in his quest for a fifth European Tour title in the weather-delayed Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open.

Lawrie completed the seven remaining holes of his second round in three under to card a seven-under-par 65 on Saturday morning.

It gave the 33-year-old from Aberdeen a halfway total of 12 under and a two-shot lead over Australian Richard Green and midlander John Bickerton, and puts him in pole position to go one better than his second place in the event last year.

However the knock-on effects of yesterday’s delays – when fog, rain and then lightning combined to allow only two players to complete their rounds – mean the last six groups containing the leading 18 players will have to complete 36 holes on Sunday, weather permitting.

It was a depressingly similar scenario to 12 months ago when more bad weather reduced the event to 36 holes and Lawrie lost out in a sudden death play-off with eventual winner Paul McGinley and Daren Lee.

The trio played the par-three 12th over and over again on the final day to find a winner, Lawrie bowing out after three-putting the second time around, McGinley sealing victory and his Ryder Cup place with a par three at the fifth time of asking.

Ironically Lawrie was left facing a birdie putt on the same hole on Friday night when the third and final suspension of play occurred, and made no mistake when play resumed despite a wait of almost 17 hours.

“I thought it was about six feet but when I got back and had a closer look this morning it was more like eight feet and it went right into the middle, which was just the sort of start I was looking for,” said Lawrie.

A similar result in the play-off would of course have given him the title last year, but he still looks a good bet to win his fifth European Tour title if tournament officials get their wish to complete 72 holes.

Further birdies at the 16th and 18th saw him home in 33 to card a 65 that equalled the record established by Green and South African James Kingston in the first round.

Lawrie is gaining an unwanted reputation as the bad weather champion. His first tour win in the 1996 Open Catalonia came when the tournament was reduced to 36 holes because of high winds.

He did master the Shamal winds in Qatar to win over 72 holes in 1999 before his famous win in the windswept Open at Carnoustie a few months later, and won the Dunhill Links Championship last year when more bad weather forced the tournament into a fifth day.

Even his win in last week’s Scottish Matchplay championship was delayed by bad weather, the final moved from Deesside because of flooding to his native Aberdeen, only to be delayed by fog.

Lawrie correctly predicted he may not get the chance to start his third round on Saturday but added: “The prospect of 36 holes on Sunday wouldn’t worry me.

“I feel very fit. I’ve been working on building up my fitness slowly over a long period. I’ve lost a little weight but gained strength and it definitely helps.”

Bickerton carded his second successive 67 to finish on 10 under, first round joint leader Green adding a 69 to his opening 65.

“I was up at 5am this morning along with everyone else,” said the left-hander, who won the Dubai Desert Classic in 1997 in a play-off with Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam.

“It was hard to get going early on and I was yawning my head off still on the sixth hole. It was a bit of a struggle but I got through it and played nicely on the back nine.”

Pre-tournament favourite Darren Clarke carded two double-bogeys in his disappointing 74 to lie two under at halfway, while defending champion McGinley showed encouraging signs of a return to form ahead of next month’s Ryder Cup with a 71 to be four under.