A Two Shot Lead Has Anthony Wall The Favourite in Sicily

Anthony Wall has just one top-25 in 2011, but a sparkling start to the Sicilian Open has him leading Raphael Jacquelin and Richard Green by two shots as the field heads to the weekend.

Wall shot his second straight round in the 60's on Friday as he backed up his opening 66 with a bogey free 67 to sit at 9-under.

With the Sicilian's week field, it felt like a week for a European Tour journeyman to take charge and Wall has done that making just one bogey over his first two rounds and he now looks to the final 36 holes in hopes of getting his second career European Tour title.

Wall is now an easy favourite taking (11-4) to the weekend.

Second on the betting board is Australian veteran Richard Green who could easily be leading, or tied for the lead, if not for a messy start to his opening round.

Green bogeyed three of his first 7 holes on Thursday, but gathered his game well enough to shoot 68-67 putting him at 7-under two off the lead.

Throw out the fact Green threw away three shots early Thursday and doubled the meek par-4 10th on Friday and he could be playing the best golf of anyone in the field.

The Aussie hasn't made much of an impression in 2011 with his best finish a 13th at the Volvo Golf Champions, but he did win the Portugal Masters last season along with two other top-5's so he knows how to win and if he can avoid any more big numbers he could make good on the (4-1) he's carrying into the final 36.

Raphael Jacquelin hasn't posted a top-10 since October of last year, but he's got it going this week shooting 66-69.

The Frenchman has only one blemish through two rounds, a double bogey at the par-4 6th yesterday, and other than that has eight birdies and has only missed 3 of 36 greens.

Jacquelin is yet another veteran who is playing well and could easily take charge of this watered down field when he takes (6-1) to the tee tomorrow.

Finally, pre-tournament favourite Chris Wood stumbled to an even par 71 in round two and he'll have to hit better than 13 greens a round on the weekend if he's going to contend.

It's questionable whether he can return to form and mount a charge in round three after making 3 bogeys in his final 6 holes on Friday and, thus, falling down the betting board. Wood now sits at (15-2).

I look into their eyes, shake their hand, pat their back, and wish them luck, but I am thinking, 'I am going to bury you' - Seve Ballesteros