Justin hot in desert as Els gets lucky
IQBAL KHAN
@King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia
JUSTIN Walters was flying the South African flag high on the second day on the European Tour’s $3.5-million Saudi International with a five-under-par 65 yesterday for a two-round total of 136 at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.
He was in joint 12th place with five others including Phil Mickelson, making his debut here, the 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry and Jhonattan Vegas – all on minus-four after the second day’s play.
The 39-year-old Walters blitzed the course with five birdies in a blemish-free round after posting a one-overpar 71 in the opening round in which most of his compatriots struggled with the conditions.
Yesterday was the same as the opening round as only Walters, Dean Burmester, Haydn Porteous, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Justin Harding and big Ernie Els were the only six South Africans to make the cut which was set at one-over-par 141.
Porteous (72-67) was on one-under 139 after two rounds along with Burmester, who played a lot more compact golf yesterday. He had five birdies and three bogeys on his card in his second round 68 to go with his first round 71.
Harding and Els must thank Bezuidenhout for making the weekend. At one stage the projected cut was at level par-140 but Bezuidenhout, who had struggled all the way, made a birdie at the 17th to change the complexion of things. The cut-line moved to plus-one and Harding and Els, who failed to get into the weekend of the inaugural tournament here last year, sneaked home.
Els got a huge roar when he heard he had made the cut and that he would be staying for another two rounds of golf in the desert. And there was a sigh of relief from Bezuidenhout, runner-up at the Dubai Desert Classic and whose 73 saw him finish right on the cut line.
“I’m just so glad to have made it – it was on the button and I’ve heard it also helped Ernie and Justin. That’s how this game is but the more South Africans competing in the weekend the better,” he said with a smile.
France’s Victor Perez tops the leaderboard on 10-under 130 with Gavin Green of Malaysia and Northern Ireland’s Graeme Mcdowell a shot further back.