Bjork, Jamieson set pace in Open
HANGING IN: JAMES MORRISON ON LEADERS’ COAT-TAILS
SA’s Thomas Aiken tears course apart with a blistering 62.
Alexander Bjork and Scott Jamieson went out in the morning and shot low to go to double figures under par in the second round of the Tshwane Open at Pretoria Country Club yesterday, and the afternoon field could not handle the pressure of the chase as the duo ended the day in the lead.
Bjork, a rookie Swede who has just graduated from the Challenge Tour, built on his share of the first-round lead after a 65 by shooting a 67 to go to 10-under-par at the halfway stage.
Scotsman Jamieson joined him on that score just over an hour later as he posted a superb six-under-par 65.
Thomas Aiken, who was out of sorts in the first round as he struggled to a one-over-par 72, bounced back with a 62, going to eight-under alongside fellow South African Peter Karmis (67).
A midday thunderstorm that delayed play for 50 minutes should have made the tricky greens slower and more receptive, but at times it seemed like the afternoon field had enjoyed a pub lunch during the break. Numerous short putts were missed and the closest anyone came to challenging Bjork and Jamieson at the top was the 66 Englishman James Morrison shot to finish on nine-under-par, one behind.
The two players who shared the overnight lead with Bjork both battled: Frenchman Gregory Havret could only shoot a one-under-par 70 to inch to seven-under overall, dropping into a tie for seventh, while South African Haydn Porteous was one-over-par, finishing five strokes back.
Justin Walters fared well in the afternoon, making an eagle on the 18th hole to jump to eight-under alongside Aiken and Karmis.
Bjork said he had struggled to get his distance control right at altitude, but had putted well.
“With the altitude, because we are playing really high, I don’t really know how long the ball flies this week. It’s tough to really trust it sometimes, but I was hitting a lot of good irons and some of them ended up short and some were a little bit long,” Bjork said.
Jamieson was looking to improve his putting in the last two rounds.
“I was very solid again from tee to green, I was delighted with that. I struggled a bit last week from tee to green, but it seems to have clicked this week,” Jamieson said.
George Coetzee, the 2015 champion playing at his home club, miss the cut, following his 68 in the first round with a 76.