As many as nine South Africans failed to make the cut with Dylan Frittelli leading a handful of local stars into the weekend at the Open de France, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
The 2018 Ryder Cup venue showed its potential on Friday with just five players playing the second round four under par or better.
Over 50 players turned in rounds of +4 or worse and that’s excluding Lee Westwood and Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, who were among four players to withdraw before the halfway cut. Westwood quit after a triple on his 14th hole left him +10 with Beef not playing today after an opening 82.
Joining the English duo with the weekend off are South Africans Brandon Stone, who dropped three shots in his last few holes to miss the mark; Justin Walters, who went out in 43; and Zander Lombard, who dropped five shots in his last six holes.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Darren Fichardt, Erik van Rooyen, Thomas Aiken, Trevor Immelman and Haydn Porteous were the remaining Saffas to miss out.
Leading the way is Frittelli, who sits just six shots back after a second round 71 left him level par. The two-time European Tour winner will rue a triple on his 9th hole and a bogey to close but has displayed enough good signs to push for a solid finish over the weekend.
Dean Burmester carded a second round 74 after opening with a 69 thanks to five bogeys on Friday. One further back is George Coetzee after a back nine which included four birdies and a single drop.
Jacques Kruyswijk (76, 69) and Richard Sterne (74, 72) make up the South African interest in the lucrative Rolex Series event.
Marcus Kinhult tamed Le Golf National with a stunning round of 65 that handed him a two-shot lead heading into the weekend.
The Swede picked the perfect time to produce his lowest round of the season and the lowest round of the week to get to six under.
England’s Chris Wood was in second at four under, a shot clear of Spaniard Jon Rahm and Welshman Bradley Dredge.
World No 2 Justin Thomas was then at two under alongside fellow American Julian Suri, England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and local favourite Gregory Havret.
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
