Christiaan Bezuidenhout matched the lowest round of the day so far as Real Club Valderrama bared its teeth on day two of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation.
The South African’s 68 moved him to eight under and with the wind getting up on one of the Race to Dubai’s toughest layouts, a testing target had been set for the later starters, including tournament host Garcia.
Local favourite Alvaro Quiros was Bezuidenhout’s nearest challenger in the clubhouse at four under after a 68 of his own, with the later starters attempting to chase the leader down.
Overnight leader Victor Perez was one shot back having completed three holes, with Garcia then at six under through four.
Another home favourite in Pablo Larrazábal was at five under in the early stages of his second round alongside Dutchman Joost Luiten.
Bezuidenhout has two runner up finishes on the European Tour but is still searching for that first win after claiming third place at last week’s BMW International Open.
There was a leading logjam as a host of players made early moves but Bezuidenhout was the only one who was able to maintain his pace.
Fabrizio Zanotti birdied his first four holes to share the lead and he was soon joined by Bezuidenhout who made a gain on the tenth.
Gavin Green picked up a shot from six feet on the fourth and when Matthieu Pavon made back to back birdies on the 16th and 17th, there was a five way tie for the lead.
That did not last for long, however, as Bezuidenhout birdied the 17th and then hit a stunning approach into the first to lead by two.
None of his fellow morning starters would get any closer to him as Zanotti bogeyed four of his last six to slip to two under and Pavon also fell into that group as he dropped four shots in his last four holes.
Green also finished the day six shots behind Bezuidenhout as he added two further birdies but also four bogeys and a double.
Bezuidenhout made excellent up-and-downs to save par on the fifth and sixth but could not make it a hat-trick as he dropped a shot on the seventh.
The 25-year-old left himself a flick with a sand wedge into the eighth to bounce straight back and parred the ninth to set the target.
It is never dull when Quiros is around and he made five birdies on his first nine holes but also added two bogeys to turn in 33, before birdieing the second and bogeying the fourth on the way home.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, George Coetzee and Mikko Korhonen were all at three under, two shots clear of World Number 11 Jon Rahm who signed for a 72.
