DUBUISSON TAKES TWO-SHOT NEDBANK CHALLENGE LEAD
SUN CITY, South Africa: Frenchman Victor Dubuisson emerged from a lightning delay to take a two- shot halfway lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa on Friday (Saturday in Manila). Dubuisson, 27, had just birdied when play was halted.
The two-time European Tour winner returned from the twoand-a-half hour stoppage to par dropped a shot at the last in an eventual two-under-par 70 for a six-under total on the Gary Playerdesigned course.
“The driver here is the key if you want to play well, and yeah, today I didn’t miss many fairways, maybe one or two, and I played very solidly in the wind,” he said.
“I came here this week 73rd on the Race to Dubai so the goal this Two players— South African - land’s Lee Westwood (70) -- share second place on four-under. Westwood superbly put himself over two years by recording a second straight score of 70.
The 44-year-old Englishman’s round included six birdies and four bogeys on a course where he has won twice before.
Westwood won a second of three Sunshine Tour titles on the Sun City course with his runaway eight- shot success at the 2010 Nedbank Golf Challenge, while he successfully defended his title a year later.
And the former world number one is clearly relishing thoughts of a third Nedbank title, which would be his 24th European Tour victory and a 44th win worldwide.
“Experience is everything around this golf course as there’s some pins that you just can’t go at and you have to play away from,” he said.
“When you miss them, you realise you’ve made a mistake with your course management.
“I’ve been coming here since successful around the course so the harder the conditions, the better it will be for me over the course of the week.”
Fichardt makes most of surprise appearance
Fichardt, 42, earlier this year victory in the Joburg Open and all but three of Pretoria-born golfer’s 20 career wins have come in Africa.
His second round included four birdies and just one dropped shot. Fichardt was the very last player the eve of the event he would be - nament thanks to withdrawals.
“I was probably the most bitter person in South Africa on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, because I really, really am playing well and it was just a shame I wasn’t getting into these events,” he said.
“So unfortunately for Matthew Southgate and Anthony Wall, but fortunate for me, they had to pull out, and it gave me an opportunity to give it a crack.
“That’s just how the game goes. I have an opportunity to play this tournament, and I love this track. My game is really where I want it to be.”
Current European number one Tommy Fleetwood again failed to make an impression, adding a two-over-par 74 to his opening 73 to be just inside the top 40 at three-over par.
Fleetwood’s second round featured three birdies but was marred full advantage of the absence of Justin Rose, his nearest Race to Dubai rival.
The Englishman is guaranteed to win the Race to Dubai with victory in South Africa, but is now nine strokes off the lead.
Illness forced American Peter Uihlein to withdraw ahead of the Race to Dubai, the 28- year- old could miss out on qualifying