McGinley comes back fighting

Ireland’s Paul McGinley shot a second-round 68 which left him just inside the cut line at the Indonesia Open in Jakarta.

The two-time Ryder Cup winner closed on three under – tied with a large group for 61st place – having played 23 holes in the day.

Colin Montgomerie’s chances of winning – and therefore re-entering the world’s top 50 and qualifying for next month’s Masters – were also looking remote after he too was stuck on three under when lightning brought the players off the course for the second successive day at 5pm local time.

McGinley was one to suffer yesterday from the suspension of play and he returned this morning to finish with five straight pars for a one-under round of 69.

He knew he had to dramatically improve on that and, starting at the 10th, he birdied the 11th.

However, that was followed by a bogey four at the 245-yard next and the Dubliner dropped further shots at the 15th and 16th.

The 178-yard 17th provided some welcome relief with a birdie and further strokes were claimed back at the third, fourth and sixth to finish but he needed a couple more to be absolutely sure of returning tomorrow.

Montgomerie, three under overnight, played 10 of his first 11 holes in par - his only birdie coming at the short par-four seventh.

A bogey four at the 12th dropped him back again and he was in trouble at the next after his approach to the par four found an awkward sloping lie adjacent to a greenside bunker.

He was prevented from making his difficult chip by the hooter to suspend play but will face a testing five holes when he returns.

Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant holds the clubhouse lead on 14 under after his second round of 63, which included an eagle three at the 524-yard ninth – his last hole.

That was one ahead of Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, whose 62 was the equal best round of the day with Canada’s Darren Griff.

Yesterday’s surprise joint leader Michael Hoey, the 2001 British Amateur champion, recovered from a bogey five at the second to sink birdies at the fourth, sixth and ninth and move to 10 under and a share of third place with the back nine to play.