George Coetzee and Nicolas Colsaerts will share the lead heading into the weekend at the Open de France after Le Golf National bit back on day two in Paris.
The 2018 Ryder Cup venue is one of the most famous and fearsome layouts on the European Tour but day one had brought low scoring, with Coetzee setting the early pace with a 65.
Heavy overnight rain and cold and windy conditions changed all that early on day two but Colsaerts took advantage of the favourable afternoon scoring to card a 66 and get to nine under.
South Africa’s Coetzee then made six birdies on his back nine to join the big hitting Belgian and sit a shot ahead of American Kurt Kitayama.
Coetzee’s countrymen Brandon Stone and Jaco Van Zyl will start the weekend inside the top 10 albeit four strokes off the pace.
Stone was two over through 12 but came storming into the clubhouse with birdies at 13, 14, 16 and 18 to move up seven places on Friday.
Van Zyl backed up his opening 67 with a solid 70 to be one of five players, including Stone, sharing sixth place.
Unfortunately it wasn’t all good news for South Africans on Friday with Justin Walters and Darren Fichardt tumbling down the board. Both opened with 67s on Thursday but played the second round 10 shots worse to drop down to 55th place. Trevor Immelman, at +1 through 36 holes, is one better off than the pair while Haydn Porteous (72, 73) made the cut on the number.
Erik van Rooyen will have a rare weekend off alongside Louis de Jager and Jacques Kruyswijk.
Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
