Josh Cunliffe (21) eagled Wingate Park Country Club’s par-five 18th hole on Monday to take a one-stroke lead at the halfway mark in the men’s Sanlam South African Stroke-Play Championship.
Cunliffe, from Dainfern, carded a 71 for the day and is on 139, five under par, with the third and fourth rounds to be completed on Tuesday.
Rossouw Loubser from Services Golf Club in Pretoria signed for a 72 to be in joint second place on 140 along with top British amateur Adam Gee, who has had two straight 70s so far.
Darren Holder from Royal Johannesburg and Kensington was lying fourth on 142, one ahead of a group of five players — Western Province pair Christiaan Basson (King David) and Alex Huber (Steenberg), Johan Steyn (Monument), Christo Hattingh (Limpopo) and David Hewan (Country Club Johannesburg).
Cunliffe, one of Central Gauteng’s top young players, won three times on the amateur circuit last year, while 42-year-old Rossouw — a lieutenant colonel in the South African Air Force, is chasing his second South African stroke-play title in three years after having won the title in George in 2002.
After Tuesday’s third and fourth rounds, the leading 32 players go through to the match-play stage beginning on Wednesday. — Sapa