Golf-Cheap putting aid helps Briton Wall take lead in Sicily (Reuters)

ROME, March 18 (Reuters) – A thrifty investment helped
Anthony Wall take the lead after the Sicilian Open second round,
the Briton attributing his four-under-par 67 on Friday to an
iPhone application costing less than one pound ($1.62).

Wall, who finished two shots ahead of France’s Raphael
Jacquelin (69) and Australian left-hander Richard Green (67)
after his bogey-free round, said the application had aided his
putting.

“I bought a Dave Stockton (twice former U.S. PGA champion)
iPhone app about reading greens and that is the best 59 pence I
have ever spent because his tips have really simplified things,”
Englishman Wall told the European Tour’s website
(www.europeantour.com) after carding a nine-under total of 133.

“I have just been looking at the low side of every putt for
the last two days, really concentrating on the last third of the
putt as opposed to the whole putt and that has definitely helped
me.”

Former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie overcame
illness to fire a second straight 69 and claim a share of ninth
place on 138.

“I’m not feeling very well, I have terrible flu so I did
well today. I haven’t dropped a shot since the first two holes
of round one, things are looking up,” said Montgomerie who is
chasing his first top-10 finish since 2008.

“I’ve never missed a day’s work through illness. I’ve not
started this year well but am beginning to feel it’s coming back
again,” added the eight-times European number one.

(Writing by James Illingworth, editing by Tony Jimenez)