Danny Willett moves one shot behind leader Chris Paisley at stormy Italian Open
Saturday 17 September 2016 20:44, UK
Chris Paisley holds a one-shot lead after another weather-disrupted day at the Italian Open, where Danny Willett, Andy Sullivan and Matt Fitzpatrick showed signs of pre-Ryder Cup form ahead of Hazeltine.
Having lost nearly five hours of play due to thunderstorms on the opening day, play was again disrupted on Friday with the second round suspended at 2.36pm as only four players were able to complete 36 holes.
Paisley leads the way on 10 under after birdieing three of his four holes on the back nine before play was halted, with Willett his nearest challenger following a blemish-free start to his first 13 holes.
Sullivan sits in a tie-for-sixth and Martin Kaymer joins Fitzpatrick four off the pace, while Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood, Chris Wood and Rafa Cabrera Bello are among the players yet to start their second rounds.
Having completed a five-under 66 to go within two strokes of first-round pacesetter Rikard Karlberg, Willett moved up the leaderboard by following a back-nine 33 with gains at the first and third.
The Masters champion was playing alongside Fitzpatrick, who fired three straight birdies from the second before the rain arrived, and Kaymer, who was two under for the round despite opening with a bogey-five.
Paisley joined the congestion at the top of the leaderboard with two birdies from his opening five holes, before taking the outright advantage by picking up a stroke at the 10th and adding successive gains from the 12th.
Richard Green has the clubhouse lead after a second-round 66 took him to eight under, with Alexander Levy alongside him with two holes to play and Chris Hanson with six holes remaining.
"We're very fortunate to have got two rounds done," Green said. "The guys who haven't even gone out yet have certainly got a raw deal, but that's just the way it goes sometimes.
"The course was already pretty wet and this rain is only going to make matters worse, so I feel a bit for the guys."
Defending champion Karlberg is yet to tee off but remains on seven under with Sullivan, who briefly held top spot after birdieing three of his five holes only to bogey his final hole of the day.
Better weather is forecast at Golf Club Milano on Saturday, where the second round will resume at 7.30am local time.
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