US TOUR:Padraig Harrington relinquished his share of the Wachovia Championship lead when he carded a seven on the par four 18th at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday.

The Dubliner mixed five bogeys with just two birdies and two pars in a three-over-par first nine of 39.

He suddenly found his touch after the turn and fired four successive birdies from the 10th to reclaim the lead after 13 holes.

However, after three pars, Harrington dropped a shot at the short 17th, where he missed the green and failed to get up and down, before disaster struck at the last.

The Stackstown golfer was in four-way tie for the lead with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Aaron Oberholster, but when he found water with his second shot at the tricky 18th and three-putted from 15 feet he was left with a three shot deficit at the halfway stage.

Earlier, Woods surged into a share of the lead despite battling with his swing.

The world number one, seeking his first victory at the Quail Hollow Club, fired a four-under-par 68 in overcast conditions to finish on six-under-par 138.

That left Woods level with 2005 champion Vijay Singh of Fiji, who recovered from five bogeys in an erratic outward nine to shoot a 71. American Arron Oberholser joined Woods and Singh after a second successive 69.

Woods, playing his first tournament since tying for second at the US Masters three weeks ago, felt he got the most of out of a round that featured five birdies and a bogey at the par-four ninth, his final hole.

"I was struggling with my swing a little bit and I had to keep focus," the 31-year-old said. "I didn't hit it very well today but I'm very pleased with my score. I felt like I pretty much have maximised my two rounds here. Today was part of a pretty good balance. I missed a couple of short ones but also got away with a couple of bad drives and made a pretty good up-and-down after a bad iron shot at three."

Woods birdied the 10th, 12th and 14th before r eaching the turn in three-under 33.

Three-times major winner Phil Mickelson, playing his second tournament since switching allegiance to swing coach Butch Harmon, was three strokes off the early pace after a 71.

World number five Ernie Els was a further four shots back after a 74.The halfway cut was projected to fall at two-over 146.

EUROPEAN TOUR: European Tour officials yesterday took the rare decision to make players play holes twice at the Italian Open in Milan.

Heavy rain suspended the tournament for almost nine hours on the second day and the Tolcinasco course was deemed fit for a resumption only if placing was allowed on the saturated fairways.

And because there had been 50 minutes' play without placing at the start of the day, that meant telling the 35 who had teed off earlier to start again.

No one took better advantage than England's Richard Finch. At 7.30am he birdied the 10th and parred the next two before carving his drive into a lake on the 13th just before the suspension. At 5.15pm he birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th - but then found the water again.

Joint runner-up in the event two years ago, the 29-year-old from Hull double-bogeyed the hole and finished the day on seven under par, three shots behind leaders Joakim Backstrom, Markus Brier and Alvaro Quiros.

European Tour chief referee Andy McFee admitted that he wished he had gone for placing at the start of the day.

Many players and caddies were amazed he had not. "It crossed my mind but I have kind of been brought up in the school that people don't want to use preferred lies if they don't have to," he said. "In hindsight we should have put it on right away. It's one of those where you are not going to please everyone. It will benefit some."

Gary Murphy was the only Irish players to play any golf on the second day and he has moved to four-under-par after 12 holes after starting at the 10th. Peter Lawrie, David Higgins and Paul McGinley will start their second rounds this morning.

LET TOUR:Spain's Ana Belen Sanchez carded a one-over 73 to keep her overnight lead at the Tenerife Ladies Open after yesterday's second round.

The 31-year-old from Malaga, who fired a 67 in the opening round at Golf del Sur finished on four-under-par 140. She leads by one shot from England's Trish Johnson, who had a two-under- par 70.

Rebecca Coakley qualified for the weekend on 148 after a 75 but Martina Gillen and Claire Coughlan both missed the cut. Gillen shot 73 for 151 while Coughlan had a disappointing 80 for 157.