Otto maintains advantage in Portugal

South African Hennie Otto remained four strokes clear after the completion of the second round in the Madeira Islands Open at Santo da Serra today.

A two-and-a-half-hour delay for strong winds yesterday meant half the field were unable to finish before darkness. Among them were German Sven Struver and Swede Fredrik Widmark, joint second at six under par when play was halted.

On the resumption the pair were unable to get any closer to Otto, first round leader Struver adding a 72 to his opening 66 and Widmark handing in a 70.

Widmark had a double bogey six at the 10th – the hole Otto eagled in his second successive 67 – but then birdied the 11th, 13th and 16th.

The third round was being held this afternoon with the players going off the first and 10th tees as the tournament tried to make up for lost time.

In a share of fourth place on five under were France’s Michael Lorenzo-Vera - last season’s Challenge Tour number one – and Brazilian Adilson Da Silva, while Scot Alastair Forsyth and England’s Miles Tunnicliff were a shot further back.

Favourite Bradley Dredge, seeking the win that would take him back into the world’s top 50 a week before the cut-off point for the Masters, was in joint 28th place on one over, while the halfway cut fell at four over.