Frenchman Julien Guerrier will take a one-stroke lead into the weekend of the Nedbank Golf Challenge after a day when the Gary Player Country Club course charged back at the field like an angry elephant bull.
A combination of intense heat, firm greens and tricky winds turned Friday’s second round into a stern test.
Guerrier managed to make the best of a tough day with his 68 to lead on five under par overall. He is one stroke clear of fellow Frenchman Romain Langasque, who signed for a 70, and South Africa’s Ockie Strydom, who posted a 73.
Defending champion Max Homa was among the leaders and at one stage held the sold lead before dropping four shots over his final three holes with back-to-back double bogeys on 16 and 17 for a 75. But he is still only two shots off the lead.
It was a day when most of those near the top of the leaderboard considered whatever they shot some of the best golf they have played.
“It’s a privilege to shoot under par here in the tough conditions we had,” said Guerrier. “I’m very pleased I made a lot of birdies. I love to play this golf course, but it’s very difficult to keep a clean card here. You had to just stay patient. You know you’re going to make mistakes out there, and so is everybody else. But it’s difficult because you can hit some good shots and get the wind gusts at the wrong time, like I did on 17 and went in the water. But it’s part of this golf course.”
Even for someone like Strydom, who has played this course more than most in the field in the Sunshine Tour events here over the years, Friday was a grind.
“It wasn’t easy out there. The wind was all over the place. At a stage, it was almost a two-club wind on the back nine. It was a total grind out there.”
And Langasque, who loves this course and has always played well in South Africa, described his second round of 70 as his best round this year.
“It was a very good score. It played tough with the firm greens. If you shot under par today you played very well.”