It was a case of 'Storm hits Middle East' for the second day running at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
But after the freak hailstorm that halted the opening round yesterday, this time it was Hartlepool's Graeme Storm who forced his way into the headlines.
Playing his first event since the Volvo Masters at the start of November, the 30-year-old former British amateur champion blasted a 64 containing an eagle and seven birdies.
Storm and playing partner Richard Green go into the weekend sharing top spot on 11 under par, the Australian left-hander going to the turn in 30 and finishing with a 65.
"We always play well together," said Storm, who took time off to work on his fitness with the same trainer who has helped Lee Westwood back into the world's top 10.
"I had a look at where I needed to improve and Pete (coach Pete Cowen) said I needed to get stronger. I've been working hard.
"I holed some great putts and that takes the pressure off the rest of your game."
Green is looking to climb back into the world's top 50 in time for The Masters in April - he is currently 63rd - and his performance revived memories of his play-off victory over Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam in nearby Dubai 12 years ago.
The 37-year-old from Melbourne was relatively unknown then, but two years ago finished fourth in The Open at Carnoustie.
Winner that week, of course, was Padraig Harrington, and the Dubliner, still the holder of the Claret Jug and now the US PGA as well, is chasing another victory.
Harrington, having opened with only a 71, charged to only four off the lead with a 66.
Anxious to get finished before the light went, the Dubliner played the last two holes at speed - out of character for a man once described by Retief Goosen as "no boy racer" - and birdied them both.
Ryder Cup team-mate and newly-wed Paul Casey, whose victory in the event two years ago was his last win, went one better than Harrington and on 10 under is joint third with Londoner Anthony Wall.
Nineteen-year-old Rory McIlroy is only two back and Colin Montgomerie matched his best round of last season with a 67 for five under.
Montgomerie was then inundated with questions about whether, as reported, he is a contender for the 2010 Ryder Cup captaincy rather than 2014 if favourite Jose Maria Olazabal turns it down.
The 45-year-old, having said it would be "a shame" if fellow Scot Sandy Lyle did not get the job, is part of the committee deciding the issue in two weeks' time.
So has an offer been made? "At this stage it has not," he said, while adding that it would be "an honour" to be selected.
World number two Sergio Garcia's 71 left him eight adrift and Masters champion Trevor Immelman is alongside him following a 69.
Just under 30 players have still to complete their second rounds, so the halfway cut will not be decided until the morning.
It will be either two under or one under and, either way, Ryder Cup stars Henrik Stenson and Miguel Angel Jimenez miss out.
Collated second round scores (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72):
Second round play has been suspended due to darkness & will be resumed on Saturday at 07.45hrs (GMT + 4hrs) local time
133 Richard Green (Aus) 68 65, Graeme Storm 69 64
134 Anthony Wall 67 67, Paul Casey 69 65
135 Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 67, Rory McIlroy 66 69, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 69
136 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 68 68, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 69
137 Anders Hansen (Den) 70 67, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 66, Danny Willett 71 66, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 67 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 68 69, Padraig Harrington 71 66
138 Danny Lee (Nzl) 68 70, Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 71
139 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 73 66, Marc Warren 70 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 71 68, Colin Montgomerie 72 67, Scott Strange (Aus) 73 66
140 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 68 72, Stephen Gallacher 74 66, Oliver Wilson 69 71, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 71, Bradley Dredge 71 69, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 71 69
141 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 74 67, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 72 69, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 71, Mark Brown (USA) 72 69, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 72 69, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 72 69, Gary Murphy 69 72, Alastair Forsyth 75 66, Jamie Donaldson 69 72, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 70
142 Damien McGrane 70 72, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 72, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 71 71, Ross Fisher 75 67, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 67 75, David Drysdale 72 70, Robert Rock 67 75, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 70 72, Chinarat Phadungsil (Tha) 72 70, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 71 71, Paul McGinley 69 73
143 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 72 71, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 72 71, Gary Orr 75 68, Paul Lawrie 73 70, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 74 69, Peter Lawrie 73 70, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 72 71, Thomas Levet (Fra) 69 74
144 Stephen Dodd 72 72, Paul Waring 72 72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 74 70, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 75 69, David Lynn 73 71
145 Steve Webster 74 71, Alexander Noren (Swe) 74 71, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 70 75, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 72 73, Ariel Canete (Arg) 75 70, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 74
146 Jean Van de velde (Fra) 73 73, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 76 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 72 74, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 72 74
147 Anton Haig (Rsa) 76 71, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 71 76, Marcel Siem (Ger) 75 72, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 75, Kenneth Ferrie 70 77, Markus Brier (Aut) 77 70, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 79 68, Pablo Martin (Spa) 76 71, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 75 72
148 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 73 75, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 73 75
149 Richie Ramsay 76 73, Scott Drummond 77 72, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 78 71, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 76 73
150 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 77, Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe) 74 76
151 Paul Broadhurst 75 76
154 Lee Slattery 76 78
Colts MLB Brackett to miss at least two games
IRISH OPEN BACK AT BALTRAY
