Julien Guerrier holds a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge after firing a remarkable 68 in extremely difficult conditions on day two, while Tom McKibbin had another rough day as strong winds caused havoc at Gary Player Country Club.
The Holywood man uncharacteristically made three double bogeys in his opening round and though he improved by two strokes on day two, another double and four bogeys were mixed in with three birdies and he goes into the weekend tied for 59th at +8.
The in-form Frenchman Guerrier, who ended his long wait for a maiden DP World Tour title in Andalucía in October, carded eight birdies and four bogeys in a roller-coaster second round.
While a hole-out birdie from a bunker at the eighth will perhaps go down as Guerrier’s best shot of the day, his par save from seven feet on the 18th green was probably his most important as, with his rivals leaking oil on the closing holes, it earned him the outright lead on five-under-par.
“First of all, it’s a privilege to score under par in tough conditions like that. I am very pleased I made a lot of birdies,” said Guerrier.
“It was difficult to stay patient, you know you are going to make some mistakes, everybody does. This is difficult because you can hit some really good shots, like me on 17 but then you go into the water, just the wrong gust at the wrong moment, but that is part of this golf course.
“The fairways are actually wet so if you play straight down in the middle it is a little bit longer, and if you go on the side, it is a bit shorter, and on the green it is a bit firmer. We saw that on 18, it is really longer and the second shot is tough.”
Defending champion and first-round leader Max Homa led for much of the day before back-to-back double bogeys on the 16th and 17th saw his two-shot advantage go up in smoke.
Guerrier’s nearest challengers heading into the weekend were countryman Romain Langasque and home favourite Ockie Strydom, who sit one shot off the lead on four under. Homa was among the group a further stroke back after eventually signing for a 75.
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