Golf: Houston is no problem for Aussie Appleby

Australian golfer Stuart Appleby remained atop the leaderboard at the rain-hit Houston Open, with the overnight leader an error-free five under through 16 holes at the Redstone Golf Club when play was halted after heavy rain and bad light.

With two holes to complete today before the third round, Appleby was 11 under for the tournament, one shot clear of Briton Greg Owen, who rocketed up the leaderboard after a course record seven-under 65.

Owen looked to be heading for a solid but unspectacular round until he birdied five of his final six holes to take the clubhouse lead with a midway total of 10-under 134.

"I felt like I hit a lot of good putts today," Owen said. "The quality is there. Hopefully it will continue for the rest of the weekend."

South Africa's Trevor Immelman was one of the first to make a move, spending most of the day on top of the leaderboard following a 67. Mixing six birdies with a single bogey, he posted an aggregate score of eight-under 136 to move into contention for his first PGA Tour win.

New Zealand's Phil Tataurangi is flirting with the cut on 144 after improving two shots on his opening effort to shoot 71 yesterday, while Craig Perks was out of contention after a 79 left him on 152. Australia's Aaron Baddeley, riding the momentum from his maiden PGA Tour win last week at the Heritage Classic in South Carolina, followed an opening 68 with 70 to sit just five shots off the lead.

Defending champion Vijay Singh, who is chasing a third consecutive Houston crown, had a tough start and even rougher finish to his round of 71.

The world No 3 opened with a bogey at the first but recovered with a birdie at the second before a double bogey at the fifth left him one-over for the round. Singh looked to have put his stuttering start behind him when he reeled off consecutive birdies at six, seven and eight and added two more at 13 and 15.

His hard work, however, was undone by a bogey, bogey finish that left him at four-under 140.

John Daly, who lost the Houston title to Singh at the first playoff hole last year, finished with a 72. Playing the back nine first, Daly got his round off to a stumbling start, mixing a pair of double bogeys and two bogeys with a single birdie on his outward nine.

The former British Open champion rallied in style, however, carding five birdies on his back nine to finish on three-under 141.

- REUTERS