Niclas quells expectation

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth has all but given up hope of winning the Order of Merit despite a superb start to the defence of his Mallorca Classic title.

The former Ryder Cup player needs to win here and finish first or second in the season-ending Volvo Masters next week to overhaul current leader Ernie Els.

It is a tall order of course but the Ascot-based 35-year-old at least gave himself a great chance of achieving the first part of that double with an opening 65, five under par.

Fasth was one of 60 players unable to complete their first rounds yesterday due to an afternoon thunderstorm which brought torrential rain for three and a half hours to Pula Golf Club, leaving two cars stranded in the muddy car park.

Play resumed at 9am local time on Friday morning and Fasth, three under for seven holes when play was suspended, completed his remaining 11 holes in two under to take the clubhouse lead.

Asked if he was still targeting the Order of Merit, Fasth said: “Not really any more. I’ve failed to win that second tournament I needed (he won the BMW International Open in June) and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Fasth had just 45 minutes break before heading back out for the second round but added: “We’ve been lucky with the weather in the sense that at least we didn’t have to play in the worst of it.

“It’s a long day but we all want to get finished and I’m playing nicely and enjoying myself.”

That was still the case after a birdie on the 11th, his second hole, briefly stretched his lead to two shots before Holland’s Robert-Jan Derksen birdied the 10th and 11th to join Fasth on six under par.

France’s Jean-Francois Lucquin then made it a three-way tie by also picking up two early birdies and the leading trio were one ahead of England’s Sam Little.

Little is 136th on the Order of Merit and needs a top-10 finish to climb into the top 118 on Sunday evening and keep his card for 2008.

The weather delay meant half the field would again be unable to finish their rounds on schedule, including pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia.

Garcia, first, second and second in his three appearances in the event, carded an opening 68 to lie two under but was not due to begin his second round until 4.20pm local time.