GORDON Brand Jr hit a sand iron stone dead for a birdie 3 at the

fourth hole to lead the field at six under par just as darkness halted

play in the second round of the ill-fated Chemapol Czech Open at

Marienbad yesterday.

Brand still has three holes to complete his round, which like the

opening round, is being decided over 15 holes because frost delayed the

start of play by more than two hours for the second successive day.

A total of 44 players failed to complete their second rounds and

tournament director David Probyn has had to take drastic action.

After first announcing that he would play only three rounds and that

the leading 65 and those tying for sixty-fifth place would make the cut

after the second round, he changed his mind. Now he intends to finish

the second round this morning, weather permitting, and only the leading

50 players and those tying for fiftieth place, will make the cut.

Then there will be a shotgun third round, where all the qualifiers

play from different tees as the same time, with a fourth round tomorrow.

The 36-year-old Bristol-based Brand had begun his second round as

joint leader with fellow Scot Sam Torrance and New Zealander Frank

Nobilo after all three had shot 54, five under par.

Torrance, suffering from tonsillitis, fell back to four under after

playing 11 holes yesterday in one over par, while Nobilo completed his

second round in 59 for a total of 113, five under par.

But Brand, starting at the eighth, had birdies at the twelfth and

fourth and only one bogey, at the seventeenth, where he drove into a

bush.

''The weather was a lot warmer,'' said Brand. ''I didn't play quite so

well as yesterday but not bad considering the conditions. I was pleased

with my last hole because, though it was getting dark, I hit my sand

iron stone dead and could just tap it in.''

Brand leads Nobilo by one shot with Torrance, Australian Robert

Allenby, who has played 26 holes, Sweden's Klaus Eriksson, who has

played 23, and Barry Lane -- who shot a second-round 55 for 114 -- all

on four under par.

Seve Ballesteros is one over par with four holes still to play while

Bernhard Langer is one under after a second round of 58 for 117.

Leading completed scores (British or Irish unless stated, *denotes

amateurs):

113 -- F Nobilo (New Zealand) 54, 59.

114 -- B Lane 59, 55.

115 -- S Grappasonni (Italy) 58, 57; D Clarke 59, 56.

116 -- S Richardson 57, 59; J Rivero (Spain) 59, 57.

117 -- P Mayo 56, 61; R Claydon 56, 61; B Langer (Germany) 59, 58; P

Eales 60, 57; E O'Connell 58, 59.

118 -- A Sorensen (Denmark) 59, 59; S Ames (Trinidad) 60, 58; A

Binaghi (Italy) 60, 55; R Drummond 62, 56, P Fulke (Sweden) 61, 57; F

Lindgren (Sweden) 60, 58; A Murray 60, 58; D Curry 58, 60.

119 -- P Lawrie 58, 61; J-M Carriles (Spain) 58, 61.

120 -- G Orr 59, 61; D W Basson (S Africa) 61, 59; E Darcy 60, 60; J

Van de Velde (France) 59, 61; C Mason 61, 59.

121 -- W Riley (Australia) 61, 60; G Levenson (S Africa) 60, 61; S

Tinning (Denmark) 59, 62; C Grenier (Canada) 58, 63; P Baker 63, 58; S

Bottomley 60, 61; A Hunter 58, 63; F Larsson (Sweden) 60, 61.

122 -- P Walton 61, 61.

123 -- T Gogele (Germany) 65, 58; A Forsbrand (Sweden) 65, 58; M

Pinero (Spain) 61, 62.

124 -- R Karlsson (Sweden) 59, 65; S McAllister 63, 61.

125 -- J-M Canizares (Spain) 61, 63; C Cassells 64, 61; D Cooper 64,

61.

126 -- P Haugsrud (Norway) 63, 63; M Harwood (Australia) 60, 66; F

Regard (France) 66, 60.

129 -- D Smyth 64, 65; K Skopovy (Czech Republic) 66, 63; R Goosen (S

Africa) 65, 64; V Singh (Fiji) 64, 65; R Berhorst (Germany) 60, 69; J

Juhaniak (Czech Republic) 64, 65.

130 -- *S Kopejtko (Czech Republic) 69, 61.

132 -- *L Slezak (Czech Republic) 64, 68.

142 -- S Tarr 76, 66.

Retired: P Mitchell. Disqualified: M Davis.