US Tour: Thanks to an early tee time, Davis Love avoided lightning and rain and had the lead when yesterday's second round was suspended at the PGA Tour Colonial golf tournament at Fortworth, Texas.

In an inconsistent round that featured eight birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey, Love finished with a four-under-par 66 to move to seven-under after 36 holes.

There were two rain delays, including a stoppage of almost two hours in the afternoon. Tournament officials finally suspended the round with half of the 106-player field still on the course. The round will resume this morning. Phil Mickelson also teed off in the morning and carded a 68. He, Greg Kraft, Rocco Mediate and Mike Weir were two strokes behind Love. Former champion David Frost of South Africa and first-round leader John Cook were among seven golfers three shots back.

Equipment: Golf's most controversial club will continue to be banned in America and legal in Europe for the time being.

While the United States Golf Association have banned the Callaway ERC driver because of the "spring-like" effect of its club face, the Royal and Ancient Club, which governs the game in the rest of the world, has decided that regulation in the form of a test procedure is required, with a view to an implementation date of October 1st.

It means that, while the club will not be allowed at the US Open next month, it is likely to be available for the Open at St Andrews in July.

Women's Italian Open: Belgium's Valerie van Ryckeghem retained her overnight lead at the halfway stage of the Italian Open at Poggio Dei Medici near Florence yesterday, shooting a level-par 73 for a six-under total of 140. England's Trish Johnson bounced back from an injury layoff to move to just three off the pace after a round of 73.