SUN CITY CHALLENGE:Sweden's Henrik Stenson holds a five-shot lead midway through the second round of the Sun City Challenge after play was called off for the day because of lightning at the Gary Player Country Club yesterday.
Stenson had just completed the first nine holes in 34 strokes, two under par, with superb approach play bringing him birdies on the par-five second and ninth holes and on the par-four fifth.
The 32-year-old followed up his course-record-equalling 63 on the first day by moving to 11-under-par overall.
South African Rory Sabbatini, South Korean KJ Choi and European number one Robert Karlsson were the chasing pack trying to make a charge.
Sabbatini also went out in 34 shots to move to six-under-par, while Choi and Karlsson fired four birdies and did not drop any shots on their way to four-under-par overall.
AUSTRALIAN TOUR:Jarrod Lyle's course record-equalling 63 and a 68 from Tasmanian Mathew Goggin have the pair on top of the leaderboard after the second day of the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship at Coolum.
And while there was no repeat of the thunderstorms that disrupted the opening day's play, when half of the field had to return early yesterday morning to complete their rounds, the resulting delay to round two meant it wasn't finished on the second evening.
Eighteen players will have to return to the course this morning, and with the cut hovering between even par or plus one, depending on how some of those 18 players finish, defending champ Peter Lonard could be among the casualties.
Tournament drawcard John Daly has definitely missed the cut for the second week running after a disastrous triple bogey at the last left him with a 77 and plus four overall, while Lonard's 75 has him precariously placed at one over.
Others who will be heading home early include Jarrod Moseley, who shared the title with Lonard in 2002, Western Australian Stephen Leaney and New South Welshman and tour veteran Peter Fowler.
RYDER CUP 2010:Speculation is growing in America that Paul Azinger could be retained as Ryder Cup captain for the match at Celtic Manor in Wales in 2010.
The last United States captain to keep the job was Ben Hogan in 1949, but so impressive was Azinger in Louisville in September - when after three straight wins Europe lost by five points - that it would come as no surprise to see him re-appointed.
The announcement will come from the Professional Golfers' Association of America. Normally they do it within six weeks of the last contest, but nothing has been heard yet and that put Azinger in a tricky position when reporters spoke to him in Florida this week.
"You probably should address all those questions to the PGA of America and not to me at this point," he said.
"I don't know how to respond just yet. When I say that, I'm saying I don't know what you're supposed to know with respect to the PGA of America.
"They want to get their message out and I don't want to jump the gun. I'm going to abstain - it's kind of their message."
Two weeks ago he stated during an interview with ESPN.com that he was not lobbying for the position, but that "if it were offered to me, I would sure think about it".
INDIAN MASTERS:The Indian Masters, scheduled to take place in New Delhi in February, has been cancelled for 2009 due to "economic uncertainty and security concerns".
The event, co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours plus the Professional Golf Tour of India was due to be held from February 5th to 8th, but will now not return to the schedule until 2010 at the earliest.
The global financial crisis has played a part in the decision, as has the increased security threat in India following the recent Mumbai terror attacks.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and chief executive of promoters Golf in Dubai, said: "The inaugural edition of the Indian Masters played earlier this year created quite a buzz in India with the home-grown talent and SSP Chowrasia beating a strong field to take the honours."
