Jaidee shares lead with Goya

Ballantine's Championship: Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee moved into a share of the lead with Tano Goya of Argentina after…

Ballantine's Championship: Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee moved into a share of the lead with Tano Goya of Argentina after a second round 67 at the €2.18 million Ballantine's Championship on Jeju Island, Korea.

Goya carded five birdies against three bogeys in his second round to top the leaderboard at eight under through 13 holes, but was later joined by Asian number one Thongchai after the latter carded birdies at the seventh and eighth.

Over six hours were lost due to fog yesterday, so officials have taken the decision to reduce the tournament to 54 holes.

The third and final round will be played on Sunday, with all the players expected to have completed their second rounds by tomorrow afternoon, when a traditional 36-hole cut will be applied at that stage.

READ MORE

Australian Brett Rumford is a shot off the lead after a second round 70.

Gareth Maybin remained the leading Irishman ahead of his second round. The Ulsterman finished his first round this morning, carding a 68 to move to four-under-par.

Shane Lowry has also only played 18 and was two-under-par after a 70. Peter Lawrie dropped back to the one under after a second round 74 this morning.

Paul McGinley and Damien McGrane were three and four over respectively, after 36 holes.

With a three-under-par first round under his belt, Thongchai made the ideal start to the second round of his title defence with a birdie at the tenth.

The Thai had to wait until the eighth hole of the second round to make further improvements as he holed from 25 feet at the par-three 17th after needing a fairway wood into the strong wind to reach the front of green.

The 40-year-old continued to flourish with a superb approach over the water at the front of the par-four 18th setting up a simple tap-in birdie. He holed out from six feet two holes later to keep the pressure on 21-year-old Goya at seven-under-par through 11.

A double bogey at the sixth threatened to undo all his good work but he responded with birdies at the seventh and eighth to join Goya on eight under.

The weather disruption means first-round leader Marcus Fraser of Australia will not return until tomorrow morning to begin his second circuit of the course, after the former Russian Open champion opened with a 65.

US PGA Championship winner YE Yang, meanwhile, faces an uphill battle to even make the cut on his home island after failing to improve through 12 holes of his second round. He recorded two double bogeys in a five-over-par first round of 77.