South Korea's Ted Oh blasted a four-under-par 68 in a rain-swept second round which gave him the clubhouse lead at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters yesterday.
Oh, who claimed a third place finish last year, battled through the rain and wind to card a second-round total of five-under-par 139 for a six-stroke cushion over the rest of the field at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club.
Defending champion Gaurav Ghei was among the 54 players who had yet to complete their rounds before play was suspended at 5:55pm because of darkness.
The second round, disrupted by bad weather which forced two delays, will resume at 6:50am today.
Oh, 31, put aside that distraction and remained focused as he gathered seven birdies to only three bogeys during the second round of the US$500,000 event.
Taiwan's Chen Yuan-chi carded a 69 to tied for second place alongside amateur Chiang Chen-chi, who shot a 73.
Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng shot a 74 and is tied for fourth alongside New Zealand's Brad Iles, who posted a 73 for a 146 total. Joining the duo was Filipino youngster Artemio Murakami who slipped to a 75.
California-based Oh was three under after 15 holes before the second delay and returned with a bogey on the 16th but cemented his lead with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole coupled with a birdie on the par-four 18th.
"Even the delays could not prevent me from shooting another good round as there is something about this place that makes me deliver a good score," said Oh, who is gunning for his best finish this season.
"It was a good day for me. Despite the bogey, I bounced back with two birdies in my last two holes and I will return in the third round hoping to continue what I've been doing," he said. "I've been in contention before and I always crumble at the end because I am too eager to win. I will not think of a title charge this week but instead focus on what I've been doing right in the past two days."
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