In the shadows
CHARL SHOOTS 64 TO TRAIL BY TWO
Anthony Michael adds solid 69 to opening 64 to lead on seven-under.
Charl Schwartzel always has a systematic game plan for every golf course and the system worked yesterday as he roared into second place in the co-sanctioned Tshwane Open, just two strokes behind leader Anthony Michael.
Schwartzel spoke before the tournament about being wise and keeping the ball in play at the Pretoria Country Club, just going for pars, as being the way to prosper at the beautiful tree-lined course.
The world No 43 did just that as he collected four birdies and an eagle in a brilliant bogey-free round of 64.
“I’m very, very pleased, the way I hit the golf ball was a massive improvement from a few months ago. The course was playing really difficult, but I hit it beautifully and gave myself so many chances with some beautiful approach shots. I just didn’t putt very well, the greens are very difficult to read,” Schwartzel said.
Schwartzel is on five-underpar, two behind Michael, who was in second place overnight and climbed to the top of the leaderboard with a one-under-par 69.
The 30-year-old was not entirely happy with the way he approached his second round.
“I should have been a little bit more conservative with a couple of tee shots, the aggressive plays just didn’t work out too well. There were just a couple of silly tee shots today and bad club selections, and it was quite tricky out there today with the breeze and the greens being a bit firmer. But I’m quite happy with where I finished and we’ll move on to the weekend,” Michael said.
Overnight leader Justin Harding had a tough old day as he slipped from seven-under-par to two-under despite a hole-in-one on the 141-yard 14th hole, leaving him five shots off the pace after a 75.
A weather delay came at a most inopportune time for rising star Haydn Porteous because he was putting together a super round, having gone three-under through 16 holes to move into the top five. The youngster was able to get up-and-down from a downhill lie in the bunker for birdie on 17 once the 95-minute storm interruption was over, and parred the last to finish with an excellent 66, putting him alongside American Daniel Im (68) and Theunis Spangenberg (71) in a tie for third on four-under-par.
Defending champion George Coetzee is in a tie for 22nd on level-par, mostly because of a double-bogey on the 13th and a soft three-putt for bogey on the last.
I’m very, very pleased, the way I hit the golf ball was a massive improvement from a few months ago.
Charl Schwartzel
reflects on his progress