Jamie Donaldson. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Jamie Donaldson and Marcus Armitage remain in a share of the lead at the Cyprus Open after resuming their second rounds on Saturday morning following the suspension of play on Friday due to fading light.
Welshman Donaldson was in the fairway of the final hole when play was halted, having made six birdies and one bogey over the first 17 to get to 11 under par for the tournament, while Englishman Armitage had mixed an eagle with five birdies and a solitary bogey in his first 15 holes to join Donaldson at the summit.
Play resumed at 08:00 local time, and Donaldson was quick to extend the lead with a two-putt birdie at the 18th, setting the clubhouse target at 12 under par and earning the eighth 36-hole lead of his career.
He told the European Tour’s official website: “I hit a good tee shot last night, which was slightly downwind. It was dark but we thought with the bunkers it was a good time to hit a driver. We had done the hard work and I was in a perfect position in the middle of the fairway. Just a six iron in, which I hit on the green and two-putted. Quite happy, just need to keep playing them like that for the next two days as well
“It doesn’t matter what time you seem to get up here. It’s red-hot and beautiful, it’s not as if you’re in the UK at the moment getting up early and it’s absolutely Baltic. It was pretty easy to get up early. Just have to chill out now and get ready for this afternoon.”
Armitage, who restarted his round on the 16th green, joined the Welshman at the top with a birdie at the 17th but had to settle for a closing par as his birdie chance slipped by on the final hole.
He commented: “I’m just gutted with that putt (on 18), it just dove. We saw it as straight but it turned right at the end. I would have taken that after 36 holes, tied for the lead.
“My game is going in the right direction, you just need to get up there and see how it is over the weekend. Just keep trying to make birdies and keep testing yourself – try and be in the last group tomorrow and give yourself a chance coming down the last few holes.”
Scot David Drysdale and early starters Sami Välimäki and Richard McEvoy were the leading duo’s nearest challengers on ten under, one stroke ahead of the large group containing first round co-leader Johannes Veerman.
