SHANGHAI, 22 April 2006 — Henrik Stenson was on the verge of taking at least a one-stroke lead into the weekend at the Asian Open when the second round was suspended because of lightning yesterday.

The Swede was preparing to take a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th green when the storm hit the Tomson Pudong Golf Course and he will be one of 42 players to finish their rounds today.

Stenson, who had led by a shot overnight, was a late starter and, with the wind quickening and gray skies overhead, bogeyed the second hole.

A couple of birdies on the front nine balanced another bogey at the eighth — where he found a bunker unusually situated in the middle of the green — and another bogey-birdie left him a shot in front of Briton Paul Lawrie.

“I played today better than yesterday,” said the world No. 15, who shot a first-round 67. “But the conditions were very difficult and it was hard to get close to the pin.” Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, rode the early wind to birdie two of the last three holes for a two-under-par 70 and was in sole possession of second place at four under par when play was stopped at the $1.8 million event.

Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima also shot a 70 to share fourth with Ireland’s Peter Lawrie and Asian challengers Frankie Minoza of the Phillipines and Danny Chia of Malaysia at three under.“I am not going to be in the lead,” said the French-born Lima, who contended last week at the China Open before being blown away by the Beijing wind.

One of the top Asian challengers overnight at this co-sanctioned event, South Korea’s Charlie Wi, shot a one-over 73 to drop off the leaderboard, but he remained upbeat.

Britain’s six-time major winner Nick Faldo is highly likely to have the weekend off after shooting a five-over-par 77 to finish at seven-over for his first two rounds. The 2004 champion Miguel-Angel Jimenez of Spain, however, looks to have been rescued by the weather after a 75 left him two over for the tournament. The cut is projected to be at three-over and only one of the 18 mainland Chinese in the field, Liang Wenchong at level par, looked like making it.

Appleby Takes Charge in Houston, Singh Lurking

In Houston, Australia’s Stuart Appleby fired an opening round six-under 66 to grab the first round lead at the Houston Open Thursday, while Vijay Singh remained on course for a third consecutive title.

Appleby was in blistering form at Redstone golf club mixing seven birdies with a single bogey, to take the lead one shot clear of Americans Jerry Smith and D.A. Points and three strokes clear of defending champion Singh. The Australian settled at the top of the leaderboard as conditions toughened on the par-72 Tournament Course.

Australia’s Aaron Baddeley, riding the momentum from his maiden PGA Tour win last week at the Heritage Classic in South Carolina, carded a four-under 68. He was joined on 68 by fellow Australian Stephen Leaney, Americans Charles Warren and Brent Geiberger and Sweden’s Mathias Gronberg.

Briton Darren Clarke got the $5.3 million event off to a bright start joining the group with a 68 but withdrew from the tournament a few hours later to return home to be with his wife Heather, who is battling cancer.

Singh, bidding for his fourth Houston victory in five years, got the defense of his title under way with a tidy three-under 69. John Daly, who lost the Houston title to Singh at the first playoff hole last year, kept pace with the Fijian also carding a 69.