Louis Albertse continued his excellent form this season as he claimed a one-stroke lead heading into the weekend of the Sishen Classic at the Kalahari Country Club.
Albertse, who has finished in the top 10 in his last two tournaments, added a second consecutive 67 to top the leaderboard on 10 under par.
He is one stroke clear of Pieter Moolman, who signed for a second round of 69 on Friday. The experienced duo of Trevor Fisher Jnr and Jacques Blaauw are two shots off the lead following respective second rounds of 66 and 68.
Albertse has started the new Sunshine Tour season in superb form with a finish of ninth in the Lombard Insurance Classic and then second in the FBC Zimbabwe Open. And patience has been the backbone of his success this season.
“I’ve been very patient with my own game and trying to learn what I do well and don’t do well,” said Albertse. “I’ve tried to stay very patient throughout my round so that I make as few mistakes as possible. I feel like I’ve done that quite well. If I don’t like a tee shot, then I’ll hit an iron and just make sure I’m in play. So patience has been the biggest reason for my form.”
He needed some of that patience on a Friday when his solid putting form wasn’t altogether there.
“These two days were totally different. I had 23 putts in the first round and 32 putts in the second round, with the same score. But I’m very happy with how I managed myself because the second round was frustrating considering how well I was hitting the ball. All in all, I’m proud of myself for how I’ve managed my game.”
Behind him, Moolman continued to keep himself in contention.
“I didn’t give myself enough opportunities in the second round, but that’s what golf is about. You’re never going to have a perfect round. If you can fight and still shoot under par, then that’s a good round.”
By Michael Vlismas
