Sullivan clings to lead

Wales’ Kyron Sullivan was holding on to his narrow lead in the delayed second round of the Madeira Island Open today.

Sullivan was unable to reproduce the fireworks of his opening 64 at Santo da Serra, but three birdies and one bogey gave him a 70 and 10 under par half-way total of 134.

That was good enough for a one-shot lead over playing partner David Higgins, the Irishman firing a superb 66 marred only by a bogey on the 18th.

Two delays for low cloud on Friday, the first lasting an hour, meant half the field could not complete their second rounds on schedule, with Birmingham’s Matthew Morris also on nine under with 11 holes to play.

When play resumed on Saturday morning Morris bogeyed the par four second but hit straight back with an eagle three on the next to join Sullivan on 10 under.

But two bogeys in his next three holes dropped Morris back to eight under with three holes to play, and it looked as if Sullivan would lead the field into this afternoon’s third round.

Midlander John Bickerton had earlier completed his round of 69 to join Higgins in the clubhouse on nine under par.

Scotland’s Andrew Coltart had also safely made his first half-way cut of the season, and first in 12 events spanning the end of last year, with a round of 71.

Coltart, who recorded an albatross on the second hole of his first round, is five shots off the lead on five under par.