Ashley Chesters remains top dog at Valderrama as weather hits again

Event may be reduced to 54 holes or could be extended into Monday

Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington plays their second shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images
Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington plays their second shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images

England's Ashley Chesters remained the man to catch in the Andalucia Masters, despite not hitting a single shot on a second weather-affected day at Valderrama.

After four hours were lost to stormy conditions on Thursday, two further delays on Friday meant half the field, including Chesters, defending champion Sergio Garcia and Ireland's Shane Lowry, had yet to begin their second rounds.

Play was due to resume at 9.10am local time on Saturday but with more bad weather forecast, the tournament could be extended until Monday or reduced to 54 holes.

The European Tour will be keen to complete as many rounds as possible as the €2 million event is the last chance for players to reach the top 116 on the Race to Dubai and secure full playing privileges for next season.

READ SOME MORE

Scotland's Marc Warren, who began the week 144th on the money list, is a shot off the lead after playing the first nine holes of his second round in two under par, with France's Gregory Bourdy alongside Warren on four under after an opening 67.

Home favourite Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is part of a five-strong group on three under after seven holes of his second round, but the 38-year-old will return to an eagle putt on the par-five 17th when play resumes.

Fellow Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Welshman Oliver Farr were also on three under in the early stages of their second rounds, alongside Garcia and Australian Jason Scrivener, who were due to start their second rounds on Saturday.

Warren, whose sole top-10 of the season came in the Spanish Open in April, said: “I’m hitting the ball as well as I have in a long time. I gave myself a lot of chances and I’m doing what you’ve got to do around here, which is hitting fairways and greens.

“I managed to stay patient and got the rewards with being two under for the round this afternoon. Hopefully I wake up tomorrow with the same swing and swing thoughts as I had today.”

Pádraig Harrington got through 19 holes on Friday, completing his first round in one-over 72. He remained on the same mark through nine holes of his second round after a birdie on the 10th and a bogey on the 14th.

Gavin Moynihan finished his day with back-to-back birdies to move back to level par for the tournament after five holes of his second round. He had earlier carded a two-over 73 in his first round.

Lowry, who completed a two-under 69 on Thursday, will start his second round at 11.20am local time on Saturday.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

(British and Irish unless stated, par 71; a denotes amateurs)

66 Ashley Chesters

67 Gregory Bourdy (Fra)

68 Jason Scrivener (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Esp), Oliver Farr, Alvaro Quiros (Esp)

69 Pontus Widegren (Swe), Richie Ramsay, Matthew Nixon, Jorge Campillo (Esp), Mikko Korhonen (Fin), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Jason Norris (Aus), Marc Warren, Shane Lowry, Nacho Elvira (Esp)

70 Richard Bland, Steven Brown, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Esp), Paul Peterson (USA), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Rak hyun Cho (Kor), Nino Bertasio (Ita), Edoardo Molinari (Ita)

71 Marcus Kinhult (Swe), Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Lasse Jensen (Den), Sebastian Heisele (Ger), Oliver Fisher, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Adrien Saddier (Fra), Laurie Canter, Robert Rock, Alejandro Canizares (Esp), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Lee Westwood, Pep Angles (Esp), Matthew Southgate, Jeunghun Wang (Kor), Pedro Oriol (Esp), Bernd Ritthammer (Ger), Jens Dantorp (Swe)

72 Ricardo Gouveia (Por), Maximilian Kieffer (Ger), Carlos Pigem (Esp), Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Chase Koepka (USA), Adam Bland (Aus), Eduardo Ger Lao Riva (Esp), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Paul Waring, Callum Shinkwin, Richard McEvoy, Matthew Baldwin, Christopher Mivis (Bel), Samuel Del Val (Esp), Lee Slattery, Jin-ho Choi (Kor), Max Albertus (Ned), David Drysdale, Ryan Evans, Justin Walters (Rsa), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Pádraig Harrington

73 Andrew Johnston, Angel Hidalgo (a) (Esp), Anders Hansen (Den), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (Esp), Joost Luiten (Ned), Bradley Neil, Jacques Kruyswijk (Rsa), Kim Koivu (Fin), Peter Hanson (Swe), Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin), Scott Hend (Aus), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Connor Syme, David Lipsky (USA), Austin Connelly (Can), Gregory Havret (Fra), Christofer Blomstrand (Swe), David Horsey, Gary Stal (Fra), Gavin Moynihan

74 Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Frederik Dreier (Den), Haydn Porteous (Rsa), Daniel Im (USA), Jonathan Thomson, James Morrison, Marcel Siem (Ger), Jeff Winther (Den), Stephen Gallacher, Alexander Knappe (Ger), Bradley Dredge

75 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Birgir Hafthorsson (Isr), Zander Lombard (Rsa), Julien Guerrier (Fra), Andrew Dodt (Aus), Henric Sturehed (Swe), Josh Geary (Nzl), Florian Fritsch (Ger), Aaron Rai, Renato Paratore (Ita), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha), Chris Hanson, Soomin Lee (Kor)

76 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Esp), Charlie Ford, Daniel Brooks, Clement Sordet (Fra), Joakim Lagergren (Swe), Matteo Manassero (Ita), Gavin Green (Mal)

77 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Scott Fernandez (Esp)

78 David Howell, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp)

79 Duncan Stewart, Romain Wattel (Fra), Santiago Tarrio Ben (Esp)

80 Sebastien Gros (Fra), Pelle Edberg (Swe)