Richie Coughlan came off the 18th green after the second round in the Fed Ex St Jude Classic yesterday exhausted and disappointed with his one over par 72 after such an outstanding first round completed early yesterday, with thirty players having to leave the course late on Thursday night as darkness fell.

Coughlan trails Bob Estes by nine shots with two rounds to play. Estes, who opened with a record equalling 61 added a 66 yesterday for a halfway total of 127 and a four shot lead over Scott McCarron, Brent Schwarzrock and Jesper Parnevik. Curtis Strange is alone in fifth place after a 67 for a halfway total of 132.

In that first round Richie made five birdies and an eagle to hand in a 64 and lie in fourth place, but with only thirty minutes grace before the second round commenced yesterday, he then dropped his first shot of the tournament at the first hole.

Coughlan made three birdies in the space of four holes from the third and at that stage he was back on the main leaderboard at nine under par. Dropped shots at the eight and 10th, a birdie at the 12th, and he was still eight under standing on the 18th.

However his drive finished in the right rough, the second dropped short and rolled tantalisingly close to a hazard.

Richie's attempt with a lob wedge was too cute and the ball rolled back towards his feet. A putter was left six feet short and the bogey attempt missed, thus a double bogey six dropped Coughlan to a tie for 21st place.