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High winds cause more
problems
Ireland's Paul McGinley
opened up a two-stroke lead after the delayed second round of the Volvo Masters
at Montecastillo Golf Club on Saturday before strong winds caused the third round
to be suspended for the day.
McGinley, one of 20 players
yet to complete their rounds when high winds led to a suspension of play late
on Friday, dropped a shot at the last but still managed to card a three-under-par
69 for a total of 135, nine under overall.
That left him two clear
of overnight leader Mathias Gronberg of Sweden, who fired an impressive second-round
67 on Friday after being boosted by two eagles on the front nine.
But the wind-battered tournament
was struck yet another blow when Saturday's third round, set for a two-tee start
with three-ball groupings instead of the scheduled two-ball pairs, was abandoned
for the day due to winds sweeping across Jerez.
Tournament officials said
play would start on Sunday, from two tees at 0730 GMT, but no decision has yet
been made on whether the event will be reduced to three rounds instead of four.
"This is a decision
that has been on a knife-edge all afternoon," said David Garland, the European
Tour's director of operations.
"Although conditions
around the clubhouse might seem very playable, out on the course the 11th, 15th
and fifth greens, which are exposed to the northerly winds, have been unplayable
all afternoon.
"We have had to cancel
play for the day...and, as of yet, I can't say whether the tournament will be
played over four rounds or just three."
Garland said he would be
meeting with other tournament officials later on Saturday to make a final decision.
"Whatever does happen,
though, there is not enough light for everyone to play 36 holes in one day,"
he said.
After his second-round 69
in the morning McGinley said: "These greens are unbelievable right now because
of the wind.
"They are unbelievably
quick - the quickest we've putted on all year, no question. It's really tough
in the wind and putting across shadows is tough as well.
"But I feel comfortable
in this position and my results this year have given me more confidence."
The Dubliner was nine-under
for the tournament overnight, having holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four
12th just before the players were called off the course on Friday.
ANOTHER BIRDIE
He began with three straight
pars in buffeting winds on Saturday morning before picking up another shot at
the par-five 16th to get to 10-under, three ahead of the field.
But the Irishman, who won
this year's Wales Open at Celtic Manor after a playoff, then bogeyed the 433-yard
18th.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington,
who returned a 71 on Saturday morning, moved into a share of third place on six-under
138 with Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who carded a 68 on Friday.
Germany's Bernhard Langer,
after completing a 70 on Saturday, joined Swedes Niclas Fasth and Robert Karlsson
and Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal at five-under 139 in a tie for fifth place.
However England's Ian Poulter
and Australia's Peter Lonard, lying first and second respectively after the first
round, both crashed down the leaderboard in Saturday's high winds.
Poulter, who opened with
a 64, double-bogeyed the last two holes on his way to an ugly 81 and a 36-hole
total of one-over 145.
Lonard, who stood on the
18th tee on Saturday morning in a share of fifth place, carded a quadruple-bogey
eight at the last for a 78. That dropped him into a share of 23rd place at one-under
143.
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