Bremner’s putter runs hot as he shoots 66 for joint lead at Cape Town Open

MERRICK BREMNER found something that has been missing in his putting on Friday as he finished the second round of the Cape Town Open presented by Sun International at King David Mowbray Golf Club in a share of the lead.

Bremner made an eagle, five birdies and just a single bogey on his way to his six-under-par 66, and that saw him draw level with first-round leader Peter Karmis at the top of the leader- board. They were a single shot clear of third-placed Justin Harding, with Rhys Enoch of Wales a further shot back on 11-under-par at halfway.

“I’ve been struggling a bit with my putter and I seem to have found something this week thanks to my good friend Chris Swanepoel,” he said.

As always, there was more to Bremner’s game than putting. “I hit the ball well on the front nine and got a lot of opportunities,” he said. “I hit the ball close and I was just happy to convert the chances. I got off to a quick start, so I’m happy to come in the way I did. I missed a couple of chances later on in the round, but overall, I’m very pleased.”

After the heat of the first round, conditions were substantially different for the second round in droughtstricken Cape Town as it clouded over, the wind picked up and it rained a little.

“The wet and cold didn’t really have an effect on my game, but the wind was from the opposite direction to yesterday, so two of the par-fives – 10 and five – played downwind and that made it a little easier today,” said Bremner.

Karmis, who was flawless in his opening nine-under-par, dropped two shots in his second round of four-under-par 68. It was an eventful opening five holes for the man from Clovelly as he eagled his opening hole – the 10th, dropped shots on 11 and 13 and made birdies on 12 and 14.

He kept it tidy thereafter and made two more birdies coming home.

Harding, who plays his golf out of Stellenbosch, was flawless on his way to a five-under 67, while behind him, new professional Kyle McClatchie continued his golden run of form with a 67 as he led a big group on 10-under in a share of fifth.

For Bremner, the round presents him an opportunity to turn his fortunes around. They have been pretty bleak lately with only a single top-10 finish in the last six months. “Tied for the lead going into the weekend is not what I’m used to,” he said. “I hope I can just keep going. Just try and hit repeat and keep doing what I’m doing.”