Joakim Lagergren overcomes heavy winds to take second round lead at KLM Open

Howling gusts of wind led to a suspension of over two hours on Friday afternoon, with Lagergren already safely in the clubhouse on eight under par after a battling 68.

First-round leader Ricardo Gouveia, who suffered from the difficult conditions after the resumption but clawed his way to a 72 and a six-under-par total thanks to a closing birdie.

Scotland's Connor Syme was third on five under, a shot ahead of compatriot Richie Ramsay - who had one hole to play when darkness forced the players off the course - and France's Pierre Pineau.

Lagergren, who entered the top ten with a birdie at the last on Thursday despite a wayward tee-shot, started on the back nine on Friday and birdied the tenth, 12th and 14th to make good early progress despite a bogey at the 13th.

He dropped another shot at the 17th but then birdied the first, holed an extraordinary putt from the fringe at the second and just carried the water at the next to make it three in a row.

Lagergren said after his round: "I was grinding a lot all day and the toughest part out there was putting for me. I had three three-putts today and it doesn’t feel very bad, just tough.

"It was just a grind, so tough. Just trying to miss it in the right spots. The greens are very quick as well and with this wind, sometimes you can’t really touch the putts.

"Obviously that bonus on the second, and a good wedge shot on the first and then got lucky to just miss the water on the third and then hit a great wedge shot to three feet. It probably wasn’t my best stretch playing wise but certainly scoring wise."

Play was halted at 4.10pm local time due to "oscillating balls" in the high winds, though tournament director Miguel Vidaor acknowledged they were "not really oscillating, basically moving".