Gavin Dear up with Alps Tour leaders in Morocco

FROM THE ALPS TOUR WEBSITE
Frenchman Benoit Bozio took a one-stroke advantage after the delayed first round at Essaouira in Morocco today.
He shot a great, five-under-par 67 and overtook a group a four players who had been sharing the clubhouse lead.
Bozio, 27, won twice on the Alps Tour during the 2007 season. He played on Challenge Tour in 2008.
A gale-force wind on Tuesday forced the postponement for 24 hours of the opening round and today the weather conditions were still perfect for those native from windy countries such as the British Isles.
Richard Kilpatrick from Northern Ireland, shot 68 as well as Scot Gavin Dear from Scone in Perthshire, and so too did Englishman Lawrence Dodd. All these players are rookies on the Alps Tour.
Last but not least of the group was Frenchman Jérôme Forestier who signed for a 68.
The best amateur, Mervin Rocchi, only 20, made his coach Benoit Willemart smile. He shot 69 alongside Italian Matteo Delpodio.
As soon as the players had completed one round, they had time only for a brief bite before they were back on the course for Round 2 as the organisers tried to make up for Tuesday's "lost" day.
The projected cut mark is three over par for 36 holes.
Play was suspended at 6.10pm local time. Lawrence Dodd was in the provisional lead at 10-under-par overall, having played nine holes of his second round.
Play will resume at 9.45am. Heavy rain is forecast overnight.
Hopefully, the players will complete their second rounds on Thursday morning and the qualifiers will go out again for a third round.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERS
Par 72
67 Benoit Bozio (France).
68 Richard Kilpatrick (Northern Ireland), Laurence Dodd (England), Gavin Dear (Scotland), Jerome Forestier (France).
69 Matteo Delpodio (Italy), Mervin Rocchi (France) (amateur)
70 Jason Palmer (England), Jules Bordonado (France) (amateur), Damasco Carrera (Spain), Giorgio del Boca (Italy), Damien Perrier (France).
Selected scores:
71 Sam Robinson (England) (jt 13th).
72 Matthew Baldwin (England), Mark Hooper (England), Ricki Neil-Jones (England) (jt 23rd).
74 Matthew Cryer (England), Max Brackley (England), Peter James (England) (jt 34th).
76 Steven Hume (Scotland), Nicholas Murtagh (England) (jt 53rd).
78 Farren Keenan (England) (jt 70th).
SECOND-ROUND POSITIONS OVERNIGHT
-10 after 27 holes Lawrence Dodd.
-7 after 27 holes Gavin Dear.
-7 after 24 holes Jerome Forestier.
-6 after 24 holes Benoit Bozio.
-5 after 27 holes Sam Robinson.
-5 after 24 holes Mervin Rocchi.
-4 after 30 holes Richard Kilpatrick.
-4 after 24 holes Paolo Terrini
Selected score:
+5 after 24 holes Steven Hume.