Sport

Bolt from the blue gives Burns a shock

WHILE Eamonn Darcy again showed flashes of brilliance to move up to within a stroke of the South African Open lead in Johannesburg…

Sat Feb 08 1997 - 00:00

WHILE Eamonn Darcy again showed flashes of brilliance to move up to within a stroke of the South African Open lead in Johannesburg, young Raymond Burns considered himself lucky to be alive after getting a shock on the 13th fairway yesterday.

Just as Darcy, five holes ahead, was safely making par on the 18th, his ninth hole, to keep himself eight under par and only a stroke off the lead, the hooter went to call the players off the course because of an electrical storm. The siren, though, nearly came too late for Burns.

"My caddie, Scotty Gilmour, had just handed me my four iron when there was this tremendous flash and my club seemed to be hit. It was a great shock and very frightening. The bolt seemed to be right overhead and I reckon I could have been killed if it had been a direct strike.

"It wasn't far off that and I think we should have been brought off well before that happened, at least 15 minutes beforehand. There was lightning flashing around for three holes before that."

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Burns was relieved he did not have to go out again as the tournament director decided to call off play for the day in the late afternoon. He and Darcy will join 77 other players this morning to complete their second round.

While Burns will be battling to make the cut - and he has that four iron to hit as his first shot of the day, so will hope to suffer no reaction - lying one over, for Darcy there is the chance of taking over at the top in a remarkable start to his tour year.

He lies eight under par with nine holes to improve, having counteracted an opening bogey by missing the 10th green, his first hole, with three birdies in the next four holes and another at the 17th which had caused him trouble the day before.

That is only a stroke behind the current leaders, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and South African Wayne Bradley.

With Darcy capable of moving up to 10 under par for the lead today, that could be bad news not only for Burns, if he stays one over, but also for Padraig Harrington and David Higgins, who are one over having completed their rounds.

The 10 shot rule for the cut off is in force here John McHenry and Ronan Rafferty also return to the course this morning, both on level par after only three holes.