Tom McKibbin and Gary Hurley both comfortably made it through to the weekend at the weather delayed Investec South African Open in Johannesburg while John Murphy agonisingly missed the halfway cut by the minimum.
It was a harsh lesson for Murphy who closed his second round with back to back bogeys to fall one shot below the cut mark on one-under-par.
There were no such strains for McKibbin and Hurley both of whom had managed to complete their second rounds on Friday morning before lightning brought an end to days play.
After a blistering opening 67 that included a hole in one, McKibbin didn’t have as much joy on a one-under 71.
The Holywood native carded fifteen pars with two birdies on 14 and 7 either side of a dropped shot on the third.
It leaves the 19-year-old in a share of 16th place on six-under, seven adrift of leader Thriston Lawrence but just four shots outside the top-3 as he looks for another impressive finish in just his second start as a DP World Tour card holder.
Making his first start of his rookie season on tour, Hurley finished in style with a closing eagle on the par-5 18th to shoot a 70 and rise to five-under.
It was an eventful back nine for the West Waterford native who also doubled the 12th and bogeyed the 14th while picking up birdies on 10, 13 and 14 before that superb eagle finish.
The 29-year-old who earned his DP World Tour card via Q-School made the turn in level after a brace of birdies and as many bogeys and he lies just outside the top-20 in 22nd.
Kinsale’s Murphy had opened with a two-over 74 in round one but got day two off to a flyer with three birdies in his first four holes to race to -1 and within touching distance of the cut mark.
Then disaster struck as the hooter sounded, bringing play to a halt. But to his credit, he returned with a vengeance following in Hurley’s footsteps with an eagle on 18 as he made the turn in 32 at three-under.
A bogey on the par-5 1st didn’t scupper him as he recovered on the par-5 5th to lie a shot above the cut mark but successive dropped shots coming home will sting as the 24-year-old missed his second cut in as many starts.
Scoring HERE
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