Higgins puts the pressure on

Wales’ Kyron Sullivan will take a one-shot lead into the delayed third round of the Madeira Island Open this afternoon.

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 halfway 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, and England’s John Bickerton.

Bickerton was one of 78 players forced to complete their second rounds on Saturday after two delays for low cloud on Friday, the Midlander completing a 69 to ensure he would be in the final group.

Birmingham’s Matthew Morris had been nine under with 11 holes of his round to play and after a bogey on the par-four second hit straight back with an eagle three on the next to join Sullivan in the lead.

But three bogeys and a double bogey in his last five holes dropped Morris back to just five under par, five shots off the lead.

Scotland’s Andrew Coltart had also safely made his first halfway 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, was alongside Morris on five under.

The leaders were not due out until shortly before 3pm this afternoon and would be pressed to complete all 18 holes before dark in the windy conditions.