Jarvis on song at SA Stroke Play Champs

Casey Jarvis continued his love affair with the Firethorn Course at Randpark Golf Club as he carded a second-round 65 to surge into a two-shot lead on day two of the South African Stroke Play Championship on Tuesday.

Jarvis and Irishman Rowan Lester began the day on six-under, two shots behind round one pacesetter James Wilson from Scotland.

The 16-year-old Boksburg teenager followed an opening 66 with a seven under par effort to set the 36-hole target on 13-under.

Lester stayed in touch with a 67 to finish two off the pace, while a sweet 66 propelled compatriot James Sugrue to joint third on eight-under.

The Mallow golfer returned a bogey-free round to join Haider Hussain from England, who offset a pair of bogeys with three birdies.

With the Free State Open and Gauteng North Open trophies already in the silverware cupboard, Jarvis is targeting his third victory in 2020 and Randpark is certainly starting to prove a great hunting ground.

South Africa’s top ranked junior fired a second round eight-under par 64 in the rain on Firethorn en route to his Joburg Junior Open triumph in December.

A month later, he produced rounds of 68, 72 and 67 on the 6,746 metre layout in the South African Open Championship, which was set up as a par-71 course.

A one-under 70 on the Bushwillow added up to a seven-under-par 277 total that earned Jarvis a share of 36th in the Sunshine Tour and European Tour co-sanctioned event.

“I really love this course, especially the Firethorn course. It suits my eye and I feel very comfortable on the course, no matter what the conditions are,” said Jarvis.

His round got off to the perfect start with four birdies on the bounce from the 10th tee and kept his foot on the pedal, racking up four more gains.

“I kept the card clean until the seventh, where I had a soft bogey. Being in position for the first time in this sort of tournament, I'm comfortable and really happy in my game. I drove it really nicely and I had only 23 putts, so that’s pretty good going.

“I didn’t putt well at Leopard Creek, but the short game has been improving throughout the week, which is important. I didn't miss too many putts, and when I missed, it was by inches. I know it's going to be tough over the next two days, but I'm in good position.

“There are a lot of other guys playing well and feeling happy about their games, too. It could turn into some kind of a shootout. It won't be easy for anyone, but I'm happy to be in the mix. I'm glad I've put myself in this position. Hopefully tomorrow things will go my way. I can only control so much, and I'll try to do that.”

Strong winds made it tough on the afternoon starters, but GolfRSA No 1 Martin Vorster and reigning Nomads SA Boys U-17 champion Amilkar Bhana produced some impressive golf to make up ground on the leader.

Fifteen-year-old Bhana sizzled with a 66 while Vorster, last week’s victor in the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Leopard Creek, carded 68 to tie for fifth on seven-under.

Wilson couldn’t conjure up the same magic as his opening round 64.

The Balmore golfer strung together 17 pars before an untimely double-bogey finish dropped him back to a share of seventh. South Africa’s Kyle de Beer, and Dutch golfer Koen Kouwenaar are also in the bus on six-under.

SECOND-ROUND SCORES

All competitors RSA unless otherwise specified

131 Casey Jarvis 66 65

133 Rowan Lester IRL 66 67

136 James Sugrue IRL 70 66; Haider Hussain ENG 65 71

137 Amilkar Bhana 71 66; Martin Vorster 69 68

138 Koen Kouwenaar NED 69 69; Kyle de Beer 67 71; James Wilson SCO 64 74

139 Drikus Joubert 71 68; Keagan Thomas 70 69; Siyanda Mwandla 70 69; Kiet van der Weele NED 70 69; Connor Wilson SCO 67 72

140 Darren Howie SCO 72 68; Samuel Simpson 71 69; Sam Bairstow ENG 70 70; James Murray 70 70; Christiaan Burke 70 70; Olly Huggins GBR 70 70

141 Aneurin Gounden 73 68; Ayden Senger 70 71; Caolan Rafferty IRL 70 71; Nikhil Rama 70 71; Kieron van Wyk 69 72

142 Jonothan Broomhead 74 68; Joseph Long GBR 72 70; Nikhil Gopal 72 70; Charles Larcelet FRA 72 70; Yurav Premlall 71 71; James Biggs ENG 70 72; Nicolas Muller FRA 70 72; Tyran Snyders 69 73; Constantin Unger GER 69 73

143 Mandla Dlamini 74 69; Dario Antonisse NED 73 70; Christo Lamprecht Jnr 72 71; Christiaan Maas 71 72; Andrew Williamson 70 73; Thabiso Magwaza 69 74; Shaun Jones 69 74

144 Matthew Mcclean IRL 72 72; Peter Handcock GBR 72 72; Jordan Duminy 72 72; Adam Breen 71 73; Stuart Easton SCO 70 74; Bob Geurts NED 69 75

145 Pierre Pellegrin 76 69; Keith Egan IRL 74 71; Jason Broomhead 73 72; Nordin van Tilburg NED 72 73; Ryan van Velzen 72 73; Robin Williams GBR 72 73; Luca Filippi 70 75

146 Brendan Els 75 71; Letsoso Letsai 75 71; Sebastian Sliwka GER 71 75; Tom Mckibbin IRL 71 75

147 Nash de Klerk 77 70; Tom Vaillant FRA 75 72; Warwick Purchase 74 73; Elliot Anger FRA 73 74; Oliver Goldhill 73 74; Cole Stevens 72 75; Stephen Roger SCO 70 76; Robert Brazill IRL 71 76; Therion Nel 70 77; Louis Liebenberg 70 77

148 Rigardt Albertse 76 72; Matthew Mortimer 75 73; Florent Toulet 74 74; Connor Engelmohr GER 74 74; Jaden Deltel 71 77

149 Aran Sinclair 75 74; Theo Boulet FRA 75 74; Jarryd Elliott 74 75; Donovan Liddicoat 74 75; Sinan Baburoglu 73 76

150 Fabrizio de Abreu 77 73; Jules Helary 77 73; Dylan Underwood 77 73; Martin Couvra FRA 77 73; Rasheed Mohamed ZIM 77 73; Jake Bolton ENG 77 73; Dylan Melville 77 73; Oswin Schlenkrich 75 75; Tiarnan McLarnon IRL 73 77

151 Oliver Brown 78 73; Ben Firth ENG 76 75; Mike Saxer 76 75; Cade Cryer 75 76; Loris Schuepbach SUI 74 77

152 George van Vuuren 79 73; Matthew Dennis 78 74; Dawid Joubert 77 75; Hannes Strooh 76 76; Pieter Rossouw 76 76; Samual Mckenzie 72 80

153 Promise Sombrero ZIM 79 74; Henning Stander 78 75; Luhan Bester 77 76; Caden Sanders 75 78; Emerson Bam 75 78; Liam Ross 74 79; Phil Tomkinson ENG 74 79; Christopher Long 74 79; Christopher Gutuza 72 81

154 Joe Harvey GBR 80 74

155 Daniel van Seumeren 77 78; Jaime Clive Lewis 74 81; Diego Leslie 73 82

156 Behn Heyns 78 78; Ernest Jaco Ludick 76 80; Ryan Welsh 73 83

157 Garreth Whitehead 76 81

158 Hugo Archer FRA 81 77; Nicholas Souranis 81 77; Christopher Bagnall 77 81; Reece Mc Kain 77 81; Grant Ferreira 77 81; Handre Truter 76 82; Sean Paxton 75 83

159 Miles Taylor 82 77; Louis - Jnr Loubser 82 77; Pieter Joubert 80 79; Joshua Bürki 74 85

160 Matthew Gary Stieger 82 78; Sean Lottering 81 79; Morton Kombai 79 81

161 Ge-Rico Muller 85 76; Andrew Inggs 84 77

162 Khanya Mkhize 80 82

163 Alan Buttle 83 80; Nico Booyens 77 86

164 Graeme Derek Lewis 85 79

165 Dil Thomas 86 79

166 Wessel (Jnr) van Wyk 88 78

WD Travis Ladner 79 WD; Peter Basil Cambanis 86 WD; Ivan Laubser 88 WD

DQ Monty Scowsill ENG; Gregory Mckay