McIlroy, Stone in five-way lead

MAZOLA MOLEFE

IT IS deep pockets – not necessarily game time – that Premiership players are after.

There’s no shortage of examples: Ramahlwe Mphahlele leaving reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns to join Kaizer Chiefs this week, Elias Pelembe also ditching the Brazilians to join Bidvest Wits last season, when the club wanted to cut his reported R400 000-a-month package, and Rheece Evans making only his third official appearance on Wednesday night in over two seasons at Sundowns.

The one-club-man fairy tale has been a myth for some time now, so it came as no surprise that following drawn-out contract negotiations that were beginning to play out in public, Sundowns captain Mphahlele signed for a bigger pay cheque to continue his career and “take care of my family”.

You might think the Brazilians are the only PSL club with bulging salaries, but the Bosman ruling, which made it possible for players to move from one club to another without a transfer fee being required, has changed how many clubs do business.

Mphahlele was unveiled alongside Keagan Buchanan at Chiefs this week, a player who was perhaps considered to still be in Bloemfontein Celtic coach Serame Letsoaka’s plans but who had been injured since November last year – a month before Letsoaka replaced Clinton Larsen.

Buchanan had apparently begun negotiating for a new contract, but lost interest as soon as Amakhosi, who signed him as a free agent, came knocking.

It is unlikely that he has been given guarantees of a starting berth when the new season commences, although in remuneration terms his move from the Free State to Gauteng has probably been handsomely rewarded.

“It was a difficult decision,” Mphahlele said on Monday.

“You come to a club as a youngster and you grow and learn so much, but at the end of the day you have to make a decision like this, whether it works or backfires. As long as nobody influenced your decision, you can sleep better.

“Look, I had been locked in negotiations with Sundowns for two seasons. I made it clear to everyone that I wanted to stay at the club because I saw a future, but sometimes things don’t always work out the way you want them to work out.”

Pitso Mosimane, the Sundowns coach who himself has just agreed to remain at the helm for four more years, revealed on the same day that his now former captain wanted too much money and would have unsettled the dressing room.

Mphahlele should be one of the first names on the team sheet at his new club after regular right back Siboniso Gaxa was sent packing, but Pelembe appeared happy to stick around at Chloorkop even if it meant sitting in the stands to collect his excessive salary, which had made him one of the highest-paid players in the PSL.

But Wits came to the rescue, saving money by avoiding to spend on a player of Pelembe’s calibre and settling on a deal closer to what he had been earning at Sundowns.

Mphahlele and Pelembe have left Evans behind, a player that had managed 22 league matches for Maritzburg United three seasons ago before the Brazilians lured him away. Efforts have been made to ship him out because of a lack of game time, but the 25-year-old is still hopeful of making his mark, especially now that Mphahlele – one of three players that were keeping him on the bench – has moved on. RORY McIlroy fired a brilliant five-under-par 66 to surge into a five-way share of the lead after the second round of the 100th French Open at Golf National yesterday.

The Northern Irishman is tied with Mikko Ilonen, Brandon Stone, Thongchai Jaidee and Jeunghun Wang on fiveunder-par at the halfway stage.

Masters champion Danny Willett missed the cut for the second week in a row on five over.

McIlroy, the world No 4, struggled with swing trouble in his opening 71, but had no such problems yesterday.

He dropped his only shot of the day on the 18th hole when he hit his tee shot into the water and took a bogey five.

But after six earlier birdies it was still a fantastic round for the four-time major champion.

“I played very well, I didn’t really put a foot wrong until the 18th,” he said.

“I putted really well today, even the ones that didn’t go in looked like they would go in. But 66 on that golf course in those conditions… I’ll take that any day.”

South Korea’s Wang, who had back-to-back victories earlier in the season, matched McIlroy for the best round of the day.

Wang, ranked 74th, poured in four birdies on the back nine, including one on the perilous last hole that tripped up McIlroy.

South Africa’s Stone had three birdies in his final four holes to charge through the field with a three-under-par 68.

Thailand’s Thongchai backed up his opening 67 with a solid 70. A fine iron shot into the ninth green, his last hole, set up a birdie to reach fiveunder-par for the tournament.

“The course set-up is very tough this year,” the 46-yearold said. “The greens are soft, which is okay, but the wind conditions are difficult.

“That’s why we’re very happy to be one-under-par today. I hit my irons very well, but I missed a lot of greens. I had a chip-in on 18 which helped bring back confidence.”

World No 262 Ilonen, who was ranked in the top 50 less than two years ago but has struggled with injury and loss of form, looked back to his best in France.

The Finn had five birdies in his round, with an excellent par save at 17 helping him stay on five under. – SuperSport