Higgo heads log-jam at Leopard Creek

Garrick Higgo carded a five under second round 65 at Leopard Creek Golf Club to surge to the top of a packed leaderboard and set up an exciting third round at the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship on Tuesday.

The Boland golfer moved to seven-under, courtesy of an almost flawless performance, but he will have to keep knocking in birdie putts on moving day to stave off the chasing pack.

Overnight leader Jayden Schaper and Ludwig Aberg from Sweden are one off the pace, Scotsman Euan Walker is a further shot adrift and Tom Plumb from England and South Africa’s top ranked Wilco Nienaber sit ominously within three shots of the 36-hole target.

Kartik Sharma from India is five off the pace after a 67, while South Africans Keelan van Wyk and Martin Vorster round out the top 10 alongside Gaelen Trew from England.

Higgo rose to number one in South Africa with a top seven finish at Leopard Creek two years ago, but slipped down the rankings during his season last year at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Back on home soil and targeting a win on the African Swing series, he was cautiously optimistic about his chances at the regular Sunshine and European Tour stop.

Former South African number one Garrick Higgo from Boland has the 36-hole lead in the African Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Leopard Creek; credit Ernest Blignault.

“I’m driving it well and keeping it in play, which is key to scoring around this course,” said Higgo. “I’ve only missed a handful of fairways and I’ve only had two bogeys in 36 holes.

“The bogey at 17 was weird, because it ran right around the inside of the cup before it popped out. But I stayed patient, hit quality iron shots and made some good putts coming home. The best birdie of the day was at the eighth. I took the bunkers out of play with a hybrid, hit a quality 7-iron to the middle of the green and drained a 20-footer for birdie.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the mix and scoring well. I came here with positive memories from two years ago and it’s great to be feeling that same positive vibe again.”

Schaper overcame a bogey start at 10 with birdies at 13, 17 and 18 and two more gains coming home netted the Benoni golfer a 69 and a share of second with Aberg. The world number 90 made three birdies on the bounce from 11 and dropped his only shot of the day at the par four fourth. The Swede finished with a brace of birdies to sign for 68.

Walker also racked up a string of three birdies from the sixth and a birdie finish for a five-under 67 netted the Kilmarnock Barassie golfer sole fourth on five-under.

Plumb made a birdie-birdie start before he set the course alight with a run of five successive gains.

The Englishman went through the turn on seven-under, but he hit a speed-bump with a bogey at the first and a double bogey at the third. He bounced back with birdies at five and nine for a 67 and a share of fifth with Nienaber.

Meanwhile Nienaber – at 74th in the world amateur golf rankings the highest ranked player in the 90-plus international field – lived up to his billing as the odds-on favourite this week.

The recent Gauteng North Open winner struggled in the opening round and posted 74, but he was back to his big-hitting best on Tuesday. The Bloemfontein golfer fired five birdies and eagled two par fives – 13 and 18 – for a six-under 66 that boosted earned him the lowest round honour.

TEAM COMPETION

The GolfRSA Juniors kept their title defence in the 54-hole Team Competition on track with a second round total of 10-under 206. New cap Sam Simpson carded 68 and Schaper and Christo Lamprecht contributed rounds of 69 to move the team to nine-under.

The defending champions will start Wednesday’s final round with a 10 shot cushion.

Meanwhile Therion Nel (69), Luca Filippi (69) and Nienaber combined for 204 to join Sweden and England in second on one-over 433.

Second Round Scores (top 20)

All players RSA unless otherwise specified:

137 Garrick Higgo 70 67

138 Ludwig Aberg SWE 70 68; Jayden Schaper 69 69

139 Euan Walker GBR 72 67

140 Wilco Nienaber 74 66; Tom Plumb GBR 73 67

141 Kartik Sharma IND 74 67

143 Keelan van Wyk 74 69; Gaelen Trew GBR 72 71; Martin Vorster 71 72

144 Billy McKenzie GBR 77 67; Gregg Gilson 74 70; Aneurin Gounden 73 71

145 Samuel Simpson 77 68; Samual Mckenzie 76 69; Yurav Premlall 74 71; Timo Vahlenkamp GER 73 72; Ryan van Velzen 70 75

146 Malcolm Mitchell 79 67; Therion Nel 77 69; Jim Johnston SCO 76 70; Paulus Jorg GER 75 71; Keagan Thomas 75 71; Gregory Mckay 73 73; Alexander Herrmann GER 73 73; Gustav Andersson SWE 73 73

Team Competition Round 2

423 GolfRSA Juniors 217 Jayden Schaper 69 Martin Vorster 71 Samuel Simpson 77; 206 Samuel Simpson 68 Christo Lamprecht Jnr 69 Jayden Schaper 69

433 Team South Africa 229 Wilco Nienaber 74 Therion Nel 77 Deon Germishuys 78; 204 Wilco Nienaber 66 Luca Filippi 69 Therion Nel 69

433 England 225 Tom Plumb 73 David Langley 75 Billy McKenzie 77; 208 Tom Plumb 67 Billy McKenzie 67 David Langley 74

433 Sweden 219 Ludwig Aberg 70 Gustav Andersson 73 Adam Wallin 76; 214 Ludwig Aberg 68 Rasmus Hjelm 73 Gustav Andersson 73

435 Scotland 224 Euan Walker 72 Jim Johnston 76 Kieran Cantley 76; 211 Euan Walker 67 Jim Johnston 70 Kieran Cantley 74

437 India 225 Kartik Sharma 74 Varun Parikh 75 Anat Singh Ahlawat 76; 212 Kartik Sharma 67 Anat Singh Ahlawat 72 Varun Parikh 73

440 Germany 219 Lukas Bastian Buller 72 Alexander Herrmann 73 Marc Alexander Hammer 74; 221 Alexander Herrmann 73 Jannik De Bruyn 74 Marc Alexander Hammer 74

459 France 231 Theo Boulet 75 Nicolas Muller 77 Aymeric Laussot 79; 228 Charles Larcelet 72 Nicolas Muller 78 Theo Boulet 78

477 Reunion 242 Antoine Sale 79 Titouan Berny 80 Johan Mouniama 83; 235 Johan Mouniama 75 Antoine Sale 77 Titouan Berny 83

479 Mauritius 248 Pierre Pellegrin 79 Julien Planel 82 Rakesh Channoo 87; 231 Pierre Pellegrin 74 Florent Toulet 74 Rakesh Channoo 83

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