Spain’s Pablo Martin remains on course for back-to-back victories after claiming the clubhouse lead in the South African Open Championship.
Martin, the only player to win European Tour titles as an amateur and a professional after his victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship last Sunday, added a 68 to his opening 65 at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.
That gave the 23 year old an 11 under par halfway total of 133 and a two shot lead over Denmark’s Anders Hansen, who carded a 69.
Starting on the back nine, Martin birdied the tenth, 12th and 16th before running up a double bogey six on the 17th.
However, he bounced straight back with a birdie on the 18th to reach the turn in 34 and, after another bogey on the first, rolled in a hat-trick of birdies from the third.
Overnight leader Martin Erlandsson was four shots off the pace on seven under after beginning his second round with a bogey on the first.
“It was playing easy this morning this course - it wasn’t playing so difficult,” said Martin. “The greens were a little soft and not as fast as yesterday and not that much wind. I thought somebody would shoot very low.”
Hansen also had an up-and-down round, which included a chip-in from a greenside bunker on the 17th and a 25 footer for birdie on the 15th.
But a double bogey and a bogey on his inward nine kept him from claiming the outright lead.
Hansen has a one shot advantage over another Spaniard, Alejandro Cañizares, who shot a 67 to move to eight under, with home favourite Louis Oosthuizen a shot further back after his 69.
Scotland’s Callum Macaulay recorded a hole-in-one when he aced the par three 15th, using a seven iron off the tee.
