A number of other local golfers are also still very much in the mix.
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout shot the low round of the day, a scorching 65, to get himself into contention at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City after the second round on Friday.
Having won the SA Open title at the same Gary Player Country Club course in 2020, Bezuidenhout drew on all his knowledge and experience to follow up his opening round 70 with Friday’s seven-under-par 65.
He is on a total of nine-under-par, three shots off the leader, Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan, who followed up his opening 63 with a 69 to be on 12-under-par at the halfway mark.
France’s Adrien Saddier is second on 11-under-par after scores of 66 and 67.
The 31-year-old Bezuidenhout, who’s in a tie for third alongside France’s Julien Guerrier, said he enjoyed the Sun City layout.
‘Solid day’
“Definitely comfortable around this course, I’ve won here before,” he said.
“Like I said at the start of the week, the key here is just to keep it in play off the tee. The greens are so good.”
He added: “It was a solid day. I drove pretty well, except on two, I lost it a little bit right.
“I just kept myself in play off the tee, which is crucial around this golf course. And then I also had two nice hole-outs as well off the green, which always helps.
“I left myself in an awkward position on 11 but holed out from there. And on 18, it wasn’t my best iron shot in but yeah, holed out from there as well, so it was good out there.
“It wasn’t my best tee-shot on number two today, lost it a little bit right. But overall, I drove it pretty well, except the drive on two. Overall it’s just a solid day tee to green.”
Bezuidenhout made eight birdies and one bogey (on the par-5 second) on Friday.
Still in with a shout
The next best South Africans after Friday’s round were Garrick Higgo (68 and 69) and Daniel van Tonder (70 and 67) in a tie for fifth on seven-under-par.
Jayden Schaper (70 and 68) was a further shot back on six-under-par and ninth place.
Some of the other South Africans who’ll feel they’re still in the mix are Shaun Norris, Aldrich Potgieter and Thriston Lawrence who’re all in a tie for 15th, on four-under-par, with a few other golfers, including Fransesco Molinari and Haotong Li.
