Higgins falls away in Brazil Open

Ireland’s David Higgins is unlikely to make the cut in the Brazil Open after experiencing the ups and downs of professional golf in Sao Paolo.

Higgins, who only finished his first round this morning after lightening halted play yesterday, was sitting pretty beginning his second round on three-under par.

And things got better for the Kerryman when a birdie at the short second moved him to four under par to take him within two strokes of the on-course leader.

But then came a sudden collapse and a dramatic reversal of fortune as Higgins’ game simply went to pieces. His woes began with a dropped shotat the fourth and he went on to bogey four straight holes. Unable to steady the ship, worse was to follow for Higgins with further mistakes at the 10th and 12th adding to his troubles.

A birdie at the 13th proved a false dawn andHiggins’ misery was compounded by another dropped shot at the 16th and a double bogey at the last.

Higgins finished the day at the wrong end of an eight-shot swing, his four over-par score leaving his weekend in tatters with no chance of making the cut.

Ireland’s only other representative in Brazil, Philip Walton, has yet to start his second round after an electrical storm disrupted the tournament for the second day running.

Currently at two-under par he will be hoping for some better fortune to put some pressure on the leaders.

That position is occupied at the moment South Africa’s Darren Fichardt who opened a considerable gap at the top of the leaderboard thanks largely to a second round 61. At 14 under-par, Fitchard holds a seven shot advantage over his nearest challenger, Diego Borrego of Spain.