Teenage rookie Deon Germishuys will take a single-stroke lead into the final round of the Royal Swazi Spa Challenge.
Germishuys backed up his opening eight-under-par with an eventful second-round five-under 67 on Thursday to total 13-under-par for the tournament.
Starting off the 10th, the 19-year old was one-under and bogey-free through the first four holes but a double-drop on the par-three 14th, his fifth hole, threatened his progress. He didn’t let that double-bogey get to him, however, because he bounced back with a birdie on the next hole and another on the par-three 18th, his ninth hole.
Two more birdies followed after the turn to make it three in a row for Germishuys but after the par he made on his 12thhole, another bogey found its way onto his card. As with the double he made on his fifth hole, he quickly bounced back from that to make three more birdies with no dropped shots from the remaining holes.
‘Once again, I hit my driver very well,’ said Germishuys who earned his playing card through Qualifying School earlier in the year. ‘I made plenty putts again but I had a bit of a slip up there on the 14th hole today; made double there. But it happens. You’re going to make drops around this golf course but you will make plenty of birdies as well. So, I’m really happy with 13-under.’
Overnight leader Ruan Conradie ground out a one-under 71 second round and at 12-under, he, last season’s runner-up Michael Palmer and Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya are only a single shot off Germishuys’ lead. Muthiya’s four-under 68 consisted of five birdies, an eagle and three bogeys while Palmer’s eight-under 64 was the lowest score from the players who occupy the top of the leaderboard.
Rhys West produced another fine round of golf – a five-under 67 – to stay within touching distance of the lead and shares the fifth spot with Christiaan Basson who shot a second-round 65, at 11-under-par for the week. Member of the Gary Player Class Allister de Kock, Jacques P de Villiers, JC Ritchie, Benjamin Follett-Smith, Jaco van Zyl and Jacques Blaauw occupy the seventh spot at 10-under-par.
Scores:
131 – Deon Germishuys 64 67
132 – Ruan Conradie 61 71, Madalitso Muthiya 64 68, Michael Palmer 68 64
133 – Rhys West 66 67, Christiaan Basson 68 65
134 – Allister de Kock 68 66, Jacques P de Villiers 67 67, JC Ritchie 66 68, Benjamin Follett-Smith 68 66, Jaco Van Zyl 71 63, Jacques Blaauw 68 66
135 – Darin de Smidt 65 70, Wynand Dingle 69 66, Anthony Michael 67 68, Thriston Lawrence 68 67, Haydn Porteous 67 68, Louis de Jager 70 65
136 – Dylan Mostert 68 68, Paul Boshoff 66 70, CJ du Plessis 71 65, Teaghan Gauche 69 67, Ruan de Smidt 68 68, Hayden Griffiths 69 67, Combrinck Smit 69 67, Titch Moore 69 67, Jake Roos 69 67, Doug McGuigan 70 66, Mark Williams 75 61
137 – Jared Harvey 67 70, Heinrich Bruiners 69 68, MJ Viljoen 73 64, Neil Schietekat 66 71
138 – Derick Petersen 67 71, Andre Nel 71 67, Luke Jerling 73 65, Kyle Barker 67 71, David McIntyre 68 70, Jean Hugo 71 67, Dean Burmester 70 68, Alex Haindl 67 71
Missed the cut:
139 – Martin Rohwer 70 69, Luke Mayo 68 71, Jade Buitendag 70 69, Kyle McClatchie 71 68, Keith Horne 65 74, Adilson Da Silva 68 71, Daniel van Tonder 73 66, Trevor Fisher Jnr 67 72, Dylan Kok 69 70
140 – Jake Redman 68 72, Greg Snow 70 70, DK Kim 73 67
141 – Victor Lange 69 72, Hendrikus Stoop 71 70, Aubrey Beckley 69 72, JJ Senekal 71 70, Herman Loubser 73 68, Thanda Mavundla 70 71, Cameron Moralee 69 72, Stefan Wears-Taylor 71 70, Jacquin Hess 72 69, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 70 71, Erhard Lambrechts 68 73, Shaun Norris 74 67, Tyrone Ryan 71 70, Anton Haig 74 67, Jason Froneman 71 70, Bradford Vaughan 72 69
142 – Bradley Diggeden 71 71, Duane Keun 71 71, Pieter Moolman 70 72, Dylan Naidoo 72 70, Michael Hollick 71 71, Estiaan Conradie 74 68, Clinton Grobler 70 72, Thato Mazibuko 74 68, Altaaf Bux 71 71, Merrick Bremner 68 74, Bennie van der Merwe 71 71
143 – Matt Bright 74 69, Chris Swanepoel 73 70, Jaco Prinsloo 71 72, Keenan Davidse 69 74, Keelan van Wyk 71 72
144 – Wayne Stroebel 72 72, Ruan Korb 74 70, Makhetha Mazibuko 75 69, Roberto Lupini 72 72, Stephen Ferreira 75 69
145 – Franklin Manchest 70 75, Andrew van der Knaap 74 71, Alpheus Kelapile 73 72, James Pennington 72 73, Wallie Coetsee 72 73, Ryan Tipping 71 74
146 – Toto Thimba 72 74
147 – James Hart du Preez 74 73, Philip Geerts 75 72, Jonathan Waschefort 77 70, Ockie Strydom 73 74, Louis Albertse 77 70
148 – Riekus Nortje 75 73, Ruan Huysamen 77 71
149 – Mike Maile 70 79, Teboho Sefatsa 73 76, Matthew Rushton 77 72
150 – Peetie van der Merwe 78 72
151 – Cameron Esau 78 73, Adriel Poonan 73 78, Sean Bradley 76 75, Keelan Africa 75 76
152 – Juran Dreyer 73 79, Dayne Moore 73 79
153 – Meshack Zwane 77 76, Callum Mowat 75 78
155 – Peter Dlamini 79 76, Andre De Decker 77 78
157 – Jason Diab 82 75
RTD – Andrew McLardy 73 RTD
