Erhard Lambrechts carded a six-under-par 66 on Tuesday to move into a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Road to the Sunshine Tour #15 at Services Golf Club.
It was a bogey-free round for Lambrechts as he made four birdies on the front nine and two on the homeward nine as he finished 36 holes on 11-under-par, one ahead of Nicholas Frade, who also had a 66 on his way to 10-under and second ahead of the final round. Amateur Noel Anderson also had a 66 to take up third on nine-under, together with Reinhardt Blaauw and first-round leader Herman Loubser.
“I played really well,” said Lambrechts. “The ball striking was good, but I would say the putting was exceptional. I hit all but four of the greens in regulation today, and I had 28 putts. It’s been a long time that I’ve struggled with my putting, but it felt really good today.”
Lambrechts picked up birdies on the second, fourth, seventh and ninth as he laid down an early marker, and two more on the 12th and 16th separated him from the pack.
“It’s been a pretty good season,” said Lambrechts who is rounding into good form ahead of the final two events on the circuit and then the play-offs. “I’m currently fifth on the list,” he said, “and I feel in a pretty good space ahead of the play-offs.
“I’ve got a pretty good bunch of guys chasing me, but that’s exactly what I need and what I need to overcome if I am to regain my Sunshine Tour card,” he added.
Behind him, Frade had two bogeys in his 66, so if he eliminated those mistakes in his final round, he will be a contender. Anderson was bogey-free all the way until the 17th when he dropped his only shot of the round, and Blaauw was bogey-free with his five-under 67.
After his good opening round, Loubser had to ward off the effects of a double-bogey and a bogey on his way to a two-under 70. At two shots back, he is a threat of he rediscovers the kind of form which brought him his opening 65.