Makhetha Mazibuko stretched his lead to two shots on Tuesday after the second round of the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Road to the Sunshine Tour #14 at ERPM Golf Club.
He carded a two-under-par 70 to move to seven-under-par for the tournament ahead of the final round, two shots clear of Kyle McClatchie and Ian Snyman, who were on five-under-par after rounds of 71 and 66 respectively.
Keelan van Wyk signed for a one-under-par 71 and Zabastian de Jager for a level-par 72, and they were on four-under in a share of fourth place. There were three players on three-under, and three on two-under, while the cut fell at three-over par and 46 players will contest the final round.
Mazibuko had a quiet start to his round, with five consecutive birdies, before he picked up his first shot with a birdie on the par-four sixth. Another par, and then he made bogey-five on the par-four eighth to turn for home in level-par 36. On his way in there were three birdies – on 11, 13, and 15 – and a bogey on 16.
Snyman’s round was the eye-catcher on the second day. His 66 was the round of the day – together with Bradley Diggeden’s 66 down in an 11-way share of 12th place – and, like Mazibuko, he turned in level-par 36 after a birdie on the first and a bogey on the ninth. He got things going nicely on the back nine. He made birdie on 11, and then came three birdies in a row from 13 to 15. And eagle-three on the par-five 17th finished things off with a flourish as he came home in 30.
One of the players on a share of sixth on three-under was Ryan van Velzen, who leads the Order of Merit in the Road to the Sunshine Tour series. With six cards to the Sunshine Tour up for grabs at the end of the three-tournament play-offs which start in November, McClatchie and Snyman in fourth and fifth will be looking for a string finish at ERPM on Wednesday.
Mazibuko knows that a win will give him a boost from his current 27th spot.
