MIAMI — Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas shot a three-under 69 to grab a share of the clubhouse lead after the second round of the rain-delayed Zurich Classic of New Orleans Friday.
Vegas is tied with American Jamie Lovemark at 11-under as the second round of the USPGA Tour event was suspended because of darkness.
All of the afternoon starters were still on the course when play was stopped for the evening. They were to return to complete the second round Saturday morning before starting the third round.
Lovemark carded a six-under-par 66 in the second round after finishing the final nine holes of the first round in the morning for a 36-hole score of 133 at TPC Louisiana.
Vegas played 31 holes and added a 69 to his opening-round 64. He overcame a double-bogey seven on his second hole with five birdies.
Lovemark, who has yet to win on the USPGA Tour, had just one bogey and six birdies in his round. Through two rounds, he has played the four par fives on the course in seven under.
First-round co-leader Brian Stuard was one shot back at 10 under with six holes remaining. Harold Varner completed a 67 and was at eight-under 136.
World No. 1 Jason Day, of Australia, was at five under with eight holes remaining.
Piller leads Texas
American Gerina Piller continued her sizzling recent form with a ball-striking clinic, hitting every green in regulation on her way to the second-round clubhouse lead at the Texas Shootout in Irving Friday.
She rolled in several medium-length putts before completing her day in style with a tap-in birdie at the last for a bogey-free six-under-par 65 at Las Colinas Country Club.
On a day when half the field did not complete the round due to fierce afternoon thunderstorms, Piller posted a 10-under 132 halfway total, one stroke ahead of South Korean Ji Eun-hee (66).
Fellow South Korean Hur Mi-jung was alone in third place on eight-under after 12 holes when play was halted for the day.
Piller had a significantly better day than South Korean veteran Pak Se-ri, who withdrew after burning her leg with hot tea.
Bjerregaard, Aguilar share lead
Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark fired a 7-under-par 65 to join Felipe Aguilar of Chile atop the China Open leaderboard after the third round in Beijing Saturday.
Bjerregaard started strong with an eagle on the par-4 No. 3 and added five birdies. Aguilar carded a 67 for a combined 16-under 200, and a two-shot lead over four others.
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts matched the low round of the day with a 65, and was tied for third at 14 under with local favorite Li Haotong (66), England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67), and Alex Noren of Sweden (68).
A win for Bjerregaard would be his first on the European Tour.
Aguilar, who led after the second round, birdied the par-5 18th for a third straight day to get back to the top of the leaderboard.
