Lawrence leads as tour bears brunt of virus
SOUTH AFRICA’S Thriston Lawrence opened up a commanding lead in the Joburg Open as the new DP World Tour era suffered a nightmare start off the course.
News emerged late on Thursday evening that South Africa was to be added to the UK Government’s red travel list following the discovery of a new coronavirus variant in the country.
That led to a spate of withdrawals from the first event of the 2021-22 season as British and Irish players scrambled to secure flights home to avoid the need to quarantine in a hotel.
The Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour then announced that the Joburg Open would be played to a finish tomorrow as scheduled, but that next week’s South African Open Championship at Sun City would go ahead solely as a Sunshine Tour event, with a reduced prize fund of $500,000. And the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which was due to be played at Leopard Creek from December 9-12, has been cancelled.
A second consecutive 65 at Randpark gave Lawrence a halfway total of 12 under par and a four-shot lead over compatriot Zander Lombard, with England’s Ashley Chesters another stroke back.
Scotland’s David Drysdale was one of the few UK players not scrambling to get home thanks to a pre-planned holiday with his wife and caddie Vicky.
“There wasn’t a seat to be had by the time we found out what had happened,” Drysdale told a national newspaper. “A lot of the guys were panicking, but we thought, ‘What’s the point?’ We are staying with a mate.”
A weather delay of two and a half hours meant more than 60 players were unable to complete the second round on schedule on Friday, with Drysdale one under par with three holes to play.