ASIAN OPEN: Ernie Els will take an eight-shot lead into the delayed final day of the BMW Asian Open he feels has descended into "chaos." Less than 90 minutes play was possible in the final round yesterday before the threat of lightning at Tomson Golf Club forced the players off the course.
Three-and-a-quarter hours' play was eventually lost and the prevailing view among the players was that the fourth round should be abandoned and the tournament reduced to 54 holes.
Only 21 players had made it onto the course, many players had already checked out of their hotels and were trying to catch flights home via Hong Kong on Sunday, with several playing in this week's Italian Open in Milan.
With Els already holding a five-shot lead the result of the tournament looked a foregone conclusion but the decision was taken to resume play shortly after noon, with the event extending into today.
"I guess they want to play 72 holes but the guys going to Italy have no chance now," said Els, who faces a five-foot birdie putt on the seventh green when play resumes at 7am local time this morning.
"I suppose the question is why not play off two tees instead of one and try to get the thing done. It is always easy to question afterwards but that is the way the players feel.
"We will ask questions until we are blue in the face but we are where we are and we have to deal with it. We never get consulted.
"I want to get back to the hotel as quickly as possible and now I have to explain to my kids why I am not coming home tonight. I don't know how they are going to take it.
"Then I'll have to be back here tomorrow for seven in the morning and hopefully finish and win, but I think it's just chaos now for everybody. Everybody needs to get back to the hotels, book back in, flights are missed now. It really is chaos."
US TOUR: Chris DiMarco continued to set the pace as the final round of the Zurich Classic reached its conclusion yesterday.
Di Marco at 14 under par after 12 holes was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Tim Petrovic.
Padraig Harrington at one over par after 15 holes was eight shots off the pace.
One shot clear of the field with eight holes remaining when play was halted in fading light on Saturday, DiMarco preserved his lead by finishing at 12-under 204, ahead of fellow American James Driscoll who carded a blemish-free 66.
South Africa's Tim Clark (70) and second round leader Arjun Atwal of India (73) were a further stroke back in a tie for third at 10-under 206.
CHALLENGE TOUR: David Higgins finished as the leading Irishman in a tie for seventh place at the European Challenge Tour's Peugeot Challenge R.C.G El Prat which was enough to keep the Waterville professional at the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings.
Higgins, who has now won €63,359 this season, finished the tournament at the Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona on three over par 291 after a final round 70 left him four stroke behind the winner Tomas Jesus Muñoz of Spain.
England's Lee James and South African Michael Kirk shared third place on one over, while Michael Hoey was the next best Irishman on seven over, and Colm Moriarty a further three shots back.
LYTHAM TROPHY: Former English Amateur Champion Gary Lockerbie fired a four under par 67 in yesterday's final round to clinch the title in the Lytham Trophy, his eight under par 276 total left the 22 year old Walker Cup squad member one clear of third round surprise leader, German Florian Fritsch, with the rest of the field nowhere.
Ireland's faint hopes of retrieving something from the disappointment of Saturday's second round when five of the seven strong contingent missed the cut rested with Michael McGeady and Mark Campbell, but both failed to show in the morning's third round, producing their worst scores of the tournament, 78 and 76 respectively. Final rounds of 71 and 72 left the pair trailing on 9 over par 293, 17 shots off the pace.
WALES OPEN: Galway's Sinead O'Sullivan was the leading Irish competitor in the Welsh Women's Open strokeplay championship at Pyle and Kenfig,Porthcawl.
O'Sullivan finished with a three-round aggregate of 227-two over par which gave her a share of 11th place. Clare Coughlan from Cork was on 229.
But the weekend was a major disappointment for Martina Gillen who was expected to do well a week after she won the Helen Holm Scottish Open. Gillen from Beaverstown recorded a dismal 139-14 over par which comprised rounds of 79, 80, 80 and Tricia Mangan, a member of the 2003 Vagliano Trophy was not too happy with her total of 230.
Meanwhile the title was won at the third extra hole of a sudden-death play-off by 15-year-old Henrietta Brockway of Yeovil, who edge out Kiran Matharu from Cookridge Hall, Leeds after both had finished their 54 holes with 218 aggregates.
