Saturday 20 October 2018 19:55, UK
Ashley Chesters remained in the outright lead without hitting a single shot on Friday, while Marc Warren was on the charge as poor weather continued to disrupt the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.
Chesters retained his one-stroke lead when the first round was finally completed following several delays due to thunderstorms in the area, and less than half the field had begun their second rounds when play was suspended with further adverse weather approaching.
The Englishman tops the leaderboard on five under after his opening 67, although Warren briefly held a share of the lead after three birdies over the first eight holes of his second round before he bogeyed the 18th - his ninth - moments before the players were called back in.
Chesters is now scheduled to begin his second round at 10am local time on Saturday, with Warren resuming at 9:10am, although more storms are expected and could force tournament organisers to consider reducing the event to 54 holes.
Warren is currently languishing at 144th in the Race to Dubai and is one of many in the field battling to retain their European Tour cards for next season, and the Scot lifted his hopes of avoiding a trip to Qualifying School with an encouraging performance on day two.
The 37-year-old completed a first-round 69 with a bogey at 18, and he then returned to the 10th tee and got back to three under immediately before holing tricky putts at 16 and 17 to find himself in a share of the lead with Chesters.
Warren then bogeyed the 18th for the second time on the day, and he narrowly missed a birdie putt from 25 feet on the first green when the klaxons sounded to curtail the action once again.
Spanish veteran Alvaro Quiros will resume on three under after he also bogeyed the 18th to cap a first-round 68, and he mixed three birdies with as many bogeys over the first half of his second round and will return to the first hole well placed on three under.
His compatriot Gonzalo Fernandez Castano is also just two off the lead after seven holes of his second round, having completed an opening 70 with a superb up-and-down from behind a tree at 18 in the morning, and the seven-time winner on the European Tour will have a decent look at eagle on the 17th green when he arrives back at the course.
Welshman Oliver Farr is three under after five holes of his second round and has yet to drop a shot in the tournament, while tournament host and defending champion Sergio Garcia was among the players who were unable to get on the course throughout Friday.
Garcia, who fired an opening 68 amid the weather delays on Thursday in which over four hours of play were lost, is scheduled to tee off at 9:30am on Saturday morning as officials hope for a break in the weather.
On-air time change: Saturday's live action will now begin at 11am on Sky Sports Golf.
