Sweden’s Henrik Stenson grabbed the clubhouse lead at the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday, but another lengthy fog delay meant that more than half the players failed to finish their second rounds.
The tournament was already badly behind schedule after 2 hours, 40 minutes were lost at the start of Thursday’s opening round.
That left nearly half the 126-strong field unable to finish and they were supposed to conclude their opening salvoes early on Friday.
But with dense fog again shrouding the Emirates Golf Club another 3 hour, 20 minute delay sent organizers scurrying to re-schedule the tee-times yet again.
World No. 7 Stenson was among the pre-tournament favorites having won two years ago and enjoying familiarity with the Emirates Golf Club course as a winter resident.
He completed a four-under 68 once the sun had burned off the early fog and then produced a fine bogey-free seven-under 65 to take the clubhouse lead at 11-under 133.
His birdie at the ninth, his last hole, edged him ahead of Australian Richard Green.
“It was a grinding day,” said the Swede, who was at the course in the dark at 5:15am awaiting the start and finished as night fell more than 12 hours later.
The 1997 champion Green had the best round of the tournament to date with a bogey-free 63 to stand a stroke adrift of the Swedish Ryder Cup star at the halfway stage.
World No. 2 Sergio Garcia also moved ominously into contention with a 70 followed by a 66, which left him three shots off the pace as he seeks his first win in the Gulf region.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh was one shot back after a fine second round of 68.
First round show stealer with a 64, 19-year-old Irishman Rory McIlroy, was all but given the day off being unable to tee-off until late in the afternoon.
He completed just three holes before darkness fell and after a bogey at the first he was at seven-under for the tournament in search of his first win since turning professional in 2007.
It was a bad day though for Ernie Els. After completing a 71 in the morning, he covered his second round front nine in one-under. But he struggled on the back nine with three bogeys and at level-par for the tournament will have to wait to see if he makes the cut.
■FBR OPEN
AFP, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Phil Mickelson failed to make the cut in his season debut, shooting a 73 in the second round of the US$6 million FBR Open on Friday.
Mickelson, the fourth ranked player in the world, was well back of second round leader Nick Watney, who carded a bogey-free 63.
Watney is gunning for his second career title. His round featured four birdies and a pair of eagles to move to nine-under 133 overall.
The second round was suspended because of darkness with the final group out on the course with two holes to play.
One day after calling his five-over 76 a “disgusting” round, Mickelson was only marginally better.
He never found his rhythm en route to 73, which left him at seven-over 149 and well off the projected cut of even.
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