SUN CITY, South Africa: Paul Lawrie has a chance at an ideal end to a strong comeback year after the Scot’s 3-under 69 gave him the halfway lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City yesterday.
Lawrie had just one bogey on another tough day for players on the challenging Gary Player Country Club course and made four birdies for a 4-under-par total of 140.
A major champion over a decade ago, Lawrie has a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Martin Kaymer heading to the weekend.
Kaymer had five birdies and only back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 kept him back. The German sank the putt that retained the Ryder Cup for Europe but despite that golden moment, the former top-ranked golfer hasn’t won a tournament for a year.
Charl Schwartzel recovered from a bogey on his second hole to go around in 71 for a share of third at 1 under with Francesco Molinari (71), Louis Oosthuizen (72) and overnight co-leader Bill Haas (73) — two behind Kaymer and three off the pace.
Defending champion Lee Westwood was level par in his quest to become the first player to win three straight Nedbank titles. The No. 6-ranked Englishman made two double-bogeys in his second round and struggled to bogey No. 14 after ending up in an island of deep rough in the middle of a bunker. Only a birdie at the last kept Westwood from slipping into plus numbers in his title defense.
Haas came back well on the back nine after doubling his first hole and bogeying two more to turn at 40. The American made three birdies coming home for a 73 and a one-under 143 alongside local hopes Schwartzel and Oosthuizen and Italy’s Molinari.
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts crashed from a share of the overnight lead to a tie for 10th in the 12-player field after successive sevens — one a double bogey and one a triple — on the 2nd and 3rd. He also had two other bogeys for a 6-over 78 to slump to 4 over.
Only Justin Rose is behind him. The No. 4-ranked Rose also had a triple-bogey seven on the treacherous par-4 3rd and four other bogeys to go 7 over for the day and slip to 8 over for the tournament. Rose has followed the course-record 62 he shot in the final round of the World Tour Championship with rounds of 73 and 79 in South Africa.
Swedes Peter Hanson and Carl Pettersson were behind Westwood in eighth and ninth respectively, with South Africa’s Garth Mulroy tied with Colsaerts for 10th on 4-over 148.
Schwartzel and Oosthuizen were both within range of the lead and a first home win at Sun City for five years after hanging in there on a windy day.
Lawrie was ultra-consistent and benefited from staying well clear of the tough rough. His approach to within five feet on 17 set up the last of four birdies for the 1999 British Open champion, who has won twice in 2012 after going nearly a decade without a victory before last year’s Open de Andalucia.
