Matthew Rushton will take a slender one-stroke lead into the final round of the Betway Big Easy Tour event held at Krugersdorp Golf Club, thanks to a near-perfect six-under-par 66 in Wednesday’s second round.
It was a second successive 66 for the Erinvale Golf Club player after he signed for a similar score in the opening round of this 54-hole tournament. That gave him a one-shot cushion over local favourite and overnight leader, Simon du Plooy.
“I’d say scoring conditions-wise and weather-wise it was a bit easier today,” he said. “But I felt like my quality was just as good, so it’s quite fitting to have the same score again. The wind was, obviously, a lot less today and the weather was beautiful. In terms of how I played; not a lot different, to be honest. I felt like my quality was just as good. I may have made a couple less putts today but I think that on both days we were quite good, quality-wise.”
His solitary bogey – made on nine – was dwarfed by the five birdies and the eagle he made en route to the summit of the leaderboard. It was never without a scare, however, as Du Plooy – who had a decent local crowd cheering him on – kept applying pressure. Teeing off last in the afternoon, Du Plooy wasted little time in getting about his business. He birdied the first four holes of his round as he looked set to asset his dominance on a setting he knows well. An unwanted bogey visited his card on the par-fourth fifth but he recovered swiftly, birdieing the ninth and the 10th.
Drops on 13 and 16 took from those gains and Du Plooy signed for 69 and surrender the lead he’d held overnight, albeit by the smallest of margins.
It was Graham van der Merwe, however, who made the biggest move on Wednesday. His eight-under-par 64 catapulted him to third on the leaderboard, on nine-under for the tournament and within arms-reach of the top. He had 10 birdies and two drops on his card.
Following up on an even-par opening round this week, Nicholaus Frade found some form in the second round, coming in with a spectacular seven-under-par 65 to take fourth spot on the leaderboard, giving himself an opportunity at the title this week.
Member of the Papwa Sewgolum Class, Toto Thimba Jnr shot a 68 to get to five-under and into a three-way share of the fifth spot, seven strokes off the pace. He ties that position with Glenvista’s Louis Liebenberg and England’s Joe Knox.
Scores
132 - Matthew Rushton 66 66
133 - Simon du Plooy 64 69
135 - Graham van der Merwe 71 64
137 - Nicholaus Frade 72 65
139 - Toto Thimba Jnr 71 68, Louis Liebenberg 72 67, Joe Knox 71 68
140 - Therion Nel 71 69, Paul Boshoff 71 69, Leon Visser 69 71, Ryan Van der Klis 73 67, Lyle Pedro 70 70, Travis Ladner 69 71
141 - Tyron Davidowitz 69 72, Keelan van Wyk 74 67, Sentanio Minnie 68 73, Harry Konig 71 70, Allister de Kock 70 71
142 - Ivan Mare 70 72, Xander Basson 69 73, Vian Jansen Van Vuuren 71 71
143 - Irvin Mazibuko 73 70, Kirby Coe-Kirkham 71 72, Francois Van der Walt 71 72, Stals Swart 73 70
144 - Shaunak Rama 72 72, Eugene Du Plessis 70 74, Andrew McLardy 72 72, Philip Geerts 73 71, Makhetha Mazibuko 72 72
Missed the cut
145 - Slenda Sithebe 75 70, Nicholas Adams 75 70, Eric Wowor 78 67, Jules Helary 70 75, Luke Mayo 73 72, Karabo Mokoena 73 72, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 75 70, Ryan Tipping 73 72, Christiaan Heyman 73 72
146 - Luke Trocado 76 70, Khanya Mkhize 73 73, John Bele 70 76, Richard Joubert 71 75, Gerard du Plooy 75 71
147 - Eben Spangenberg 73 74, Henning du Plooy 71 76, Kyle Lucas 69 78
148 - Leon Vorster 72 76, Christopher Long 73 75, Dean Ralphs 77 71, Lwazi Gqira 73 75
149 - Steven Le Roux 75 74, Thomas Spreadborough 78 71, Dillon Germshuys 74 75, Letsoso Letsai 78 71, Tumelo Molloyi 73 76, Jonathan Waschefort 71 78, Ruan de Smidt 76 73, Jaden Deltel 73 76, Ricco Motsa 76 73, Thabang Simon 76 73
150 - Franklin Manchest 76 74, Regan Steyn 76 74, Vaughn van Deventer 75 75, Jabulane Mabilane 73 77, Warwick Purchase 75 75, Slade Pickering 77 73, Marcel Steyn Scholtz 75 75, Andre Van Dyk 74 76, Drikus Joubert 77 73, Christiaan Pretorius 73 77, Jacquin Hess 75 75, Terence Boardman 75 75, Terence Mogapi 77 73
151 - Ronald Rugumayo 77 74, Reece Mc Kain 77 74, Brandon-Jude Rennie 75 76
152 - Erhard Lambrechts 78 74, William Geach 73 79, Coert Groenewald 77 75
153 - Mark Maart 76 77
154 - Jonathan Williams 73 81, Hayden Garcia 78 76
155 - Jason Froneman 77 78, Dehan Joubert 78 77
156 - Johan Theron 80 76, Adriel Poonan 76 80
157 - Kael Strydom 85 72, Carlos Losper 77 80
158 - Basil Wright Jr 84 74, David Masole 78 80
159 - Boeta Nasie 82 77, Richard Kruger 79 80, Michael Kok 80 79, Jarryd Govender 83 76
WDN - Keelan Africa 84 WDN, Llewellyn Leibrandt 89 WDN, Shaydon Johnson RTD RTD, Umar Davids DSQ DSQ, Lincon Denzy Cele DSQ DSQ
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