FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Trevor Fisher Junior carded a scintillating second round 62 to set the
clubhouse target midway through the second day of the Joburg Open.
The South African’s nine under par effort was just one shy of Charl
Schwartzel’s West Course record at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington,
and took him to 15 under after an impressive 66 on the more challenging
East Course yesterday.
Fisher Junior made an ideal start to his round with an eagle at the long
second, and seven birdies followed in a bogey-free effort - three of
them coming in a brilliant run from the 15th.
The Sunshine Tour regular started his hattrick with a five footer, left
his tee shot within six feet at the short 16th then, after missing the
fairway, conjured a fine approach to two feet at the penultimate hole.
That left the 33 year old, who finished tied third in this event last year, five clear of compatriot Schwartzel.
A two-time winner here, the former Masters Tournament champion moved into contention with a six under 65 on the West Course.
The World Number 18 is playing his first tournament of 2013 after
finishing 2012 with back-to-back victories by a combined margin of 23
shots.
“I’ve had five and a half weeks nothing, then i started practising a bit,” Schwartzel said of his seven-week absence.
“I took notes of what I was thinking of when I stopped to keep the same
thought processes. My ball striking is good enough; I’m not putting as
well - those short ones are the ones you have to make to win
tournaments.”
On Fisher Junior’s remarkable halfway total he added: “We played
foursomes for South Africa Under-23s - I know how good he can be.”
Overnight joint-leader Richard Sterne was two under through six holes on
the East Course to join Schwartzel on ten under, while the player who
joined him in front on day one - German Maximilian Kieffer - carded a
level par 72.
Sterne, second last week in Dubai, picked up further shots at the
seventh and ninth and by turning in a four under 33 reduced Fisher
Junior’s advantage to three.
George Coetzee’s wait for a first European Tour victory has taken in
21 top-ten finishes, but he gave himself another title shot with five
six birdies in his first ten holes over the East Course, the last coming
after a magnificent approach to three feet.
He was alongside Schwartzel on ten under as a result, while Sterne
narrowed the deficit to two with an approach to five feet at the 15th
for another birdie
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.