Further rain delays Milan progress

Another 90 minutes was lost to rain at the Italian Open in Milan this morning.

Already way behind schedule after a hold-up of nearly nine hours yesterday, the players were told to prepare for a 7.45am resumption, but a heavy downpour during the night changed that to 9.15am local time.

Swede Joakim Backstrom, who broke the course record with a 10-under-par 62 on Thursday morning, had still to hit another shot.

He was tied for the lead with Austrian Markus Brier and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, who had played eight and 10 holes of their second rounds respectively.

Play did not get under way again yesterday until 5.15pm and it was in the fading light that that big-hitting Quiros eagled the long first – his 10th – to make it a three-way tie at the top.

Joint fourth two behind were another Spaniard, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, and defending champion Francesco Molinari, who last year became the first home winner since 1980.

The tournament could have been further ahead but the first 50 minutes’ play yesterday morning was scrapped because placing had not been allowed on the fairways.

European Tour chief referee Andy McFee regretted that decision in hindsight. The 35 players who had teed off then had to play the same holes again with preferred lies in operation.

Trips to the water on the 13th and 18th, however, sent him back to seven under and joint sixth place.

Gary Murphy is Ireland's only player on the course so far today. He is on -4 after 14 holes.