Alan McLean leads by two in Platinum

Classic in South Africa

Glasgow-born Alan McLean, pictured, eagled the 17th on his way to a six-under-par 66 and a two-round total of 13-under to lead by two strokes after the second round of the R550,000 Platinum Classic at the 6,250-metre nine-hole (par 72 for 18) Mooinooi Golf Club course, South Africa.
The Scot's round – the fourth-best of the day behind a 64 by Alex Haindl and a pair of 65s by Darren Fichardt and Merrick Bremner – put him ahead of Titch Moore and Branden Grace after Moore went to 11-under with his 68 and Grace made 67 to add to his opening 66.
McLean had a putt for a 65 on the 18th that just missed: “It broke to the left, and I thought it would come from the left,” he said. “But I made a nice 20-foot putt for eagle on 17, so I suppose that balances things out.”
On the only nine-hole course on which the Sunshine Tour plays, McLean had the bizarre experience of finding the greens tougher on the opening nine than the homeward nine.
“It sounds silly, but once you’ve had a look at the greens, and you observe where your playing partners have hit it and how the ball breaks, the putts do seem a little easier on the homeward nine,” he maintained.
He started finding his feet on the seventh after had played the first six in one over. He then made five consecutive birdies around the turn, dropped on the par-three 13th, birdied the 14th, and then made his eagle.
“If I can shoot two or three under for the front side, I feel pretty comfortable bringing it in,” he said.
Moore completed his rain-interrupted first round early, and then went straight out again: “I played nicely today, but 11-under is probably going to be a couple behind,” he said.
Grace, like McLean and Moore, dropped two shots, and his meticulous game seems to be coming together ahead of the final round. His round had seven birdies, and he was able to get out of trouble on those occasions he found himself in it except for the bogeys on three and 16.
Two behind the pair in second was Fichardt, who also made two bogeys in his seven-under. He was joined by Jean Hugo, Michiel Bothma, Doug McGuigan and Teboho Sefatsa.
Defending champion Thomas Aiken was a further shot back on eight-under 136 for the tournament after his second-round 69.
With him was first-round leader Jbe’ Kruger, who was unable to match the pyrotechnics of his opening nine-under and went one-over in round two. Grant Muller was also on eight-under after his second-round 70.