Du Plessis shoots course record, as Laporta takes lead at SA Open

South African Hennie du Plessis hit a course record seven-under-par 63 to light up the 115^th SA Open Championship on day two, hauling himself into the title frame, while Italian Francesco Laporta rose to the top of the leaderboard at Stellenbosch Golf Club on Friday.

Du Plessis was in superb form, sinking 10 birdies, but he also hit three bogeys and needed birdies on his final two holes, the par-four 17^th and 18^th holes, to secure the new course record.

He jumped a massive 38 places up the leaderboard, after his even-par opening round, and right into the mix for the championship going into the weekend.

It was also a big moving day for Laporta, who followed up his four-under-par opening round with a six-under-par second round, featuring seven birdies and just one bogey, to take an outright lead on 10-under-par.

“I played some good golf today and made some good saves. There was no wind this morning so I tried to take advantage of that. It got tricky over the last few holes when the wind was picking up, but I played well yesterday and I played well today, so I am feeling good,” Laporta said after his round.

“I like to play in South Africa, it has been my second home for a long time, so I am looking forward to the weekend. I am just going to try and enjoy it like last weekend (a fourth-place finish at the Kenyan Open), and I am feeling good with two more days to go.”

Best of the rest

England’s Nathan Kimsey also made a big move, with his five-under-par round of 65 moving him up to second on nine-under, while SA’s Dean Burmester struck a three-under-par 67 that saw him slip from joint first after day one to third on eight-under.

Joining Du Plessis in a tie for fourth on seven-under were fellow South African Herman Loubser and Englishman Joe Dean.

It was a mixed day for one of the joint overnight leaders from day one, Spain’s Alejandro del Ray, after he hit an eagle three on the par-five fifth hole but also struck five bogeys. He needed two birdies on the final three holes to lift himself into a tie for seventh on six-under with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino.

Top seed at this year’s SA open, American world number 18 Patrick Reed, followed up his first round one-over-par with a second round one-under to sneak inside the cut.

At the other end of the leaderboard, rising local star Thriston Lawrence produced a poor second round four-over-par 74, dropping to two-over-par, which saw him miss the cut.

Other big names who missed the cut included SA’s former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, despite a two-under-par round, as it wasn’t enough to wipe off his seven-over-par opening round, and multiple former champ Ernie Els, who finished on six-over.

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