Rookie 'having a ball' in lead role

Indonesian Open: European Tour rookie Andrew Tampion is "having a ball" on the circuit, having yesterday moved to the top of the leaderboard in the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open.

The 22-year-old, just four tournaments into his tour career, fired a five-under-par 66 at Damai Indah Golf and Country Club to take a share of the clubhouse lead with an eight-under-par 134 when darkness ended play with 32 players yet to complete their second rounds.

Mikko Ilonen, of Finland, was tied with Tampion with one hole to play. Both enjoyed a three-stoke cushion over their closest challengers - a group of four including Koreans Nam Young-woo and Suk Jong Yul, Thailand's Chapchai Nirat and Gaurav Ghei of India.

Such a lofty status is new ground for Tampion, who turned professional late last year and earned his card after coming through all three stages of the European Tour qualifying school.

"I am having a ball, to be honest," said the Melbourne-born player."I turned professional in November, and this is my fourth event on the European Tour. I have made two of the three cuts I have played and finished around the 50th mark. I hope I can go out at the weekend, play some good golf and improve on that."

The Australian had to contend with an early wake-up call and 22 holes in order to complete his first round, which was brought to an early end by a storm the previous day. Tampion's reward is some extra rest this morning - while Ilonen will have to return at 6.50am to complete the final hole of his second round, which was interrupted for an hour and 37 minutes by lightning.

"I would have liked to have finished it off. But I will come early tomorrow and finish the one hole," said the Finn, who is in challenging for honours once again after a joint-seventh finish in Malaysia last week. Ilonen had four birdies and a single bogey in the first 17 holes of his round.

Nam Young-woo had the opportunity to hold the clubhouse lead until two late bogeys, on seven under, saw him drop two strokes.

"I wasn't really prepared coming here," said the Korean. "I had to attend my friend's wedding on Wednesday night in Korea. So I took the night flight out and got into Bangkok at 1.30am - and I transferred from Bangkok to here, and got in at 6.30am yesterday. I had to report in, teed it up at 11 and went out."