Park takes lead before rain stops play

Briton David Park led the Turespana Mallorca Classic by a stroke when second round play was abandoned at 1525 GMT on Friday due to an afternoon thunderstorm.

The second round will resume at 0845 on Saturday with half the 132 field still to complete their rounds.

Park was one shot ahead of Dutchman Maarten Lafeber and first round leader Damien McGrane of Ireland when the players were called in at 1440.

Park carded a second round six-under-par 64 to lead in the clubhouse by two strokes on six-under-par 134, while Lafeber, last week's Dutch Open winner, lies five-under after 13 holes and McGrane five-under after nine.

Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, double-bogeyed the short 13th just before the suspension to drop back to four-under and a share of fourth place, while tournament favourite Lee Westwood was seven strokes off the pace after 13 holes.

Swede Henrik Stenson and Britain's Benn Barham are on four-under-par 136, with Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez, Germany's Marcel Siem, Britons Paul Broadhurst and James Hepworth and Spaniard Jose Manuel Carriles four-under, also still to complete their rounds.

Clubhouse leader Park gave himself a chance of a first win for over four years as he repeated McGrane's 64 feat of the previous day.

The 29-year-old Welshman, who made a spectacular start to his European Tour career in 1999 by losing a Moroccan Open playoff on his debut and then winning the European Grand Prix the following week, moved into the lead by equalling the best round of the week.

Preferred-lies are in operation after earlier heavy rain, so the 64 is unofficial but that did not stop Park being delighted at collecting seven birdies, four in the first six holes.

"Four years without a win was not what I envisaged at the start of my career but these things happen and you've just got to take your chances when you can," he said.

Park had to go back to tour qualifying school after losing his card in 2001 and only finished 107th last year on the money-list.

Britain's Gary Emerson also carded a 64 to lie three strokes off the lead.

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