Spain’s Pablo Martin came to South Africa for a holiday with his sister and ended up with a four-stroke lead over Ernie Els at the halfway mark of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane on Friday.
The Sunshine Tour tournament is the opening event on the European Tour’s 2010 Race to Dubai.
Martin shot a nine-under 63 for a two-round total of 13-under 131 to be comfortably clear of Els who carded 67 for a total of 135.
”I came here with my sister just to see the animals,” Martin said.
”I knew the place was really good. I saw it on TV. So I thought, ‘Let’s go play over there and see how it goes.’ I wasn’t expecting much, but so far, it’s good!”
Good enough for eight birdies and an eagle, with a solitary bogey coming on the tough eighth, which gave up just eight birdies to the 154-man field on the day.
Els shared second with Italian World Cup winner Edoardo Molinari who shot a three-under 69.
Four players shared fourth — Argentina’s Ariel Canete, Swede Pelle Edberg, former champion Charl Schwartzel and first-round leader Ulrich van den Berg.
Canete’s dominance on the day was underlined by his eagle on the 18th.
”I was trying to hit a three-iron into the centre of the green and I just pushed it a little bit and the wind was a little bit right to left,” Canete said.
”I was thinking, ‘hit it hard and centre of the green’ and I got away with it.”
He rounded it off with a three-metre putt for eagle, and that was a further underlining of the part of his game which gave him the lead.
”I had 25 putts. That’s my career-best, I think,” he said.
Defending champion Richard Sterne had the best round of the morning with his six-under 66, which lifted him at six-under for the tournament, together with the man he beat in a play-off to win the SA Open last year, Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, and a share of 13th with eight other players.
Taking advantage of cooler weather, Els made eight birdies and three bogeys.
”They were three really very soft bogeys,” he said. ”Two three-putts and on seven — it was a pretty basic up and down that I didn’t do.”
But he was able to make a really good birdie on nine — the final hole of his round.
Els was pleased with his performance, but felt there was more to come.
”I feel like I’m playing well enough to shoot some really good numbers, especially in weather like today,” he said.
”It was a good opportunity to shoot a low one. I’m not complaining but I felt that the level of play from tee to green, I could have shot a little better than that.”
The halfway cut fell on one under par, with 2007 champion John Bickerton among the casualties on six over. Not even a hole-in-one on the par-three fifth could save the Englishman. – Sapa