Alexander Levy continued where he left off after a long afternoon rain delay at the Portugal Masters to surge ahead of Thursday’s runaway leader Nicolas Colsaerts and set a clubhouse mark of 18 under par before darkness prevented most players completing their second rounds on Friday.
Heavy downpours continued to blight the event, reduced it to 54 holes with the second round to be completed on Saturday and the third and final round to be played on Sunday.
The rain did not bother Levy, whose only European Tour win so far came at April’s Volvo China Open. The Frenchman excelled with 10 birdies in a flawless round of 10 under at the Oceånico Victoria Golf Club.
That was just one shot behind Colsaerts’ extraordinary round on Thursday when the Belgian was inches from carding The European Tour’s first 59 as his 18-foot birdie putt slid by the 18th hole.
That put Colsaerts, ranked 85th on The Race to Dubai, three shots ahead of his nearest challengers on Thursday night, although some players were to complete their first rounds on Friday due to a torrential downpour the previous evening.
Levy said: “I think Nicolas played very well yesterday. He hits long and I think on this golf course, if you hit long, it's good. But today, I think I was not close to it, two more shots lower.
“I think 61, it's always a very good score, 10 under, and it's a good way of my game.”
More rain delayed proceedings on the second morning, but once play began Levy flew out of the traps on the back nine.
The 24 year old, 28th on The Race to Dubai, carded three consecutive birdies from the 13th hole, including with two brilliant approach shots that almost found the hole.
Levy, who tied for 25th at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, said: “My irons are good. I worked a lot the last three weeks on that with my coach, and I think last week was (playing) some good iron shots.
“I didn't play good the last day, but this week I'm very happy with my game.”
Colsaerts also started on the tenth and made two gains to sit on 13 under alongside Levy, who then chipped in from the edge of the first green just ahead of the afternoon rain intervening around 14.00 local time.
The showers eventually passed, giving way to sunny skies, with play intended to resume at 17.15. However, parts of the course took longer than expected to dry out so the restart was put back to 17.45.
When the players got going again Levy immediately birdied the second and Colsaerts bogeyed the first to drop his first shot of the competition.
Both then carded two consecutive birdies and Levy ended his round in near darkness with his 10th gain.
It meant a long day for Levy, who said: “I wake up at 06.30 and I finish in the dark.
“It was a good day. It was tough. Three times, I'm back to the range, come back to the players' lounge, back to the range. But it was good.
“I was playing good in the morning and I was in a good way, and I restart good back the last eight holes and I played really good golf. I'm very happy with my game.”
Levy, among just two groups to complete the second round on Friday, at least has the luxury of Saturday off.
“I think 54 holes is good for me,” he said.
“I think I'm going to do some gym tomorrow, work a little bit, and take a good time in the room and to be ready and rested to try to play like the (first) two days.”
Colsaerts, who made another birdie on the seventh, his last hole of the day, was three shots back on 15 under.
The 31 year old is five clear of England’s Richard Bland and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, who are set to finish their second rounds on Saturday when play will start at 08.00.
