Alexander Levy leads way as European Open reduced to 54 holes

Frenchman enjoys four-shot advantage at weather-affected tournament

Pádraig Harrington  plays a bunker shot during the second round  of the Porsche European Open at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach  in Passau, Germany. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Pádraig Harrington plays a bunker shot during the second round of the Porsche European Open at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach in Passau, Germany. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

France's Alexander Levy will take a four-shot lead into the third and final round of the Porsche European Open after the event was reduced to 54 holes.

After fog delayed play for the third day running on Saturday, Levy completed the final hole of his second round with a par on the ninth, adding a flawless 63 to his opening 62 to finish 17 under par.

At that stage the 26-year-old was five clear of England's Ross Fisher, who had carded a second consecutive 65, but Sweden's Michael Jonzon then made the most of his last-minute entry into the tournament with a superb 63.

Jonzon, 44, who only got into the field when Victor Dubuisson withdrew on Wednesday, birdied seven of his last 11 holes to finish 13 under, with Fisher 12 under and Ryder Cup star Martin Kaymer and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger a shot further back.

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Wiesberger had looked the biggest threat to Levy when he followed a front nine of 33 with an eagle on the 10th and birdie on the 11th, but found water with his approach to the 12th and came up 30 yards short of the green on the 14th to bogey both holes.

With more fog possible on Sunday, tournament officials had no option but to reduce the event to 54 holes.

"The weather hasn't been on our side but the guys here at Bad Griesbach have made a fantastic job of making sure after all the rainfall we had last week that we could actually start on Thursday," said tournament director Mikael Eriksson.

“There is a possibility of fog, that’s why we don’t want to start before 9am and that’s why also we’re starting from two tees in three balls, to maximise our time tomorrow.”

Paul Dunne will be the only Irish golfer in action in the final round, the Greystones man sitting in a share of 12th position on eight under after rounds of 66 and 68.

The cut fell on four under, leaving both Michael Hoey (72) and Pádraig Harrington (68) just one shot outside the mark. Ruaidhrí McGee was a shot further back after a 71.