Legarrea's birdie blitz opens up four-shot halfway lead

Jesus Legarrea from Spain (c) Agathe Séron

Spain’s Jesus Legarrea followed up his excellent first round at the weather-hit Umbria Open in Italy with a four-under-par second round 67 to open up a four-shot halfway lead on Saturday.

The 26-year-old, in form after finishing tied-11th and fifth in his last two Alps Tour outings, carded six birdies in his first nine holes and composed himself after a double bogey six on his 12th with two par-three birdies to close, handing him a commanding lead over home favourite Alessandro Grammatica, who fired a mistake-free 66 to close on Legarrea.

England’s Matt Wallace was alone in third on four-under while Legarrea’s co-leader after round one Nino Bertasio, who was up first thing this morning to complete his second round with an eight-foot par putt but missed it, was a stroke further back ahead of six players on two-under.

“Now back to bed!” tweeted Bertasio after his day began in disappointing fashion, the Italian and his fellow competitors set for another wait before the start of the third round due to the rain.

“Two hour delay to the official tee times,” said the Alps Tour, with the leaders originally scheduled to tee off at 4:00pm and unlikely to finish before darkness falls.

Order of merit leader Andrew Cooley of England missed the cut at three-over by two shots while last week’s winner in Austria Brendan McCarroll, second in the standings, also missed out.

From Wentworth

Tom Pilcher

Golfmanager Press Agency