Nov 10, 2018: Sergio Garcia will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player after a dramatic second day in Sun City. India’s Shubhankar Sharma shot three-over-75 in the second round with five bogeys and two birdies to finish at T57.
The Spaniard Garcia, entered round two of the seventh Rolex Series event of the season with a four-shot lead and extended that to five in the early stages before he was reeled in by local favourite Louis Oosthuizen.
Garcia signed for a 71 to move to nine under but fellow Major Champion Oosthuizen came home in 32 to sign for a 67 and emerge as the nearest challenger at Gary Player Country Club.
Finn Mikko Korhonen was then at six under, two shots clear of home favourite Dylan Frittelli, English pair Aaron Rai and Lee Westwood, and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.
Both Garcia and Oosthuizen are looking for their first Rolex Series victories while Garcia could make it back-to-back wins after triumphing at the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by his own foundation last time out.
Oosthuizen has not finished lower than 14th in this event since it joined the European Tour International Schedule in 2013 and the 2010 Open Champion is in the hunt for win number nine.
In the quest to stay in the hunt for the Race to Dubai next week, Li Haotong and Lucas Bjerregaard both need a win but were six and ten shots back respectively, while Rory McIlroy – who needs a top-two finish – was at one under.
Defending champion Branden Grace, fellow South African Darren Fichardt, Belgian Thomas Detry, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Italian Andrea Pavan and England’s Matt Wallace were alongside Li at three under.
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