HATS OFF TO PULKKANEN
Stylish Finn’s birdie blitz propels him to the front
JOHANNESBURG golfers includes a cap, but Pulkkanen cut a dashing figure in a light grey hat with a dark grey band.
“That was an awesome start,” said the Pulkkanen, referring to the birdie blitz that helped propel him to first place.
“I actually birdied five of those same holes in the practice round,” added the winner of the second-tier Challenge Tour’s Road to Oman last season.
Sharma played the easier Bushwillow course in the second round and rattled off five birdies over each nine for the lowest round so far this week.
The 21-year-old, who tied for 27th at the Mauritius Open last weekend, excelled at the par threes, collecting birdies on all four.
“It was great,” beamed Sharma. “I could not have done better. I made pretty much everything I looked at.
“I hit the ball pretty decently and made a few key up-and-down twos. I could not have asked for a better round.”
Another Finn, Mikko Korhonen, shot a 65 and South African Erik van Rooyen a 67 to share third place on 131.
English duo Steven Brown (65) and Daniel Brooks (67) and Dane Joachim Hansen (67) are two shots further back.
South Africa has produced eight of the 11 Joburg Open champions, but the leaderboard is dominated by foreigners entering the weekend with Van Rooyen the lone local among the top 10.
First-round leader Keenan Davidse of South Africa failed to maintain the hot form that delivered a 63 on Thursday and his second-round 74 included two front-nine double bogeys.
Defending champion Darren Fichardt of South Africa fired a 67 after his opening-round 75, leaving him 13 strokes off the lead. AFP