Brandon Stone channelled his "inner child" as a change of putter propelled him into contention at the 2026 Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Stone had eight birdies in a bogey-free 64 on familiar territory at Royal Johannesburg Club to share third place with fellow South African Thriston Lawrence.
The pair were one shot behind unheralded compatriot Christiaan Burke and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra and Stone said: “It was amazing. Coming to Royal Johannesburg is always good fun, we haven’t been here in a few years on the DP World Tour so it was nice to come back.
“The goal for today was to go out there with a little bit of freedom, try to trust that natural ability and almost channel that inner child that used to play here when I was a kid.
“I took on a few shots, showed some maturity here and there and didn’t take them on, but at the same time I felt like I was really aggressive and positive with the way I was playing, and very, very chuffed with that score.”
Stone wielded his new long putter to excellent effect and said: “It’s the first time my putter’s worked in probably 18 months to two years.
"I’ve gone to the long broomstick and everyone gave me a glance on the putting green over Monday through Wednesday, but she worked today and hopefully may that long continue.
“I probably holed a couple of six-footers for par here and there and then other than that, really hit it solid… it was kind of tricky, felt like the breeze was switching direction, but I played solid.
“Hit good golf shots all day, gave myself a lot of opportunities and you don’t often shoot eight under by not taking them."
Lawrence had five birdies on his front nine and another three in the final four holes, including a chip-in at the 15th, in a bogey-free round of his own.
He said: “Finishing birdie-birdie definitely helps and puts me in a good position for tomorrow but still loads of golf left.
“This trophy is obviously what everybody wants, it’s obviously not the golf course that we normally play on but whether it’s a Sunshine Tour event or a DP World Tour event or a PGA Tour event, I want to win every single tournament I play.
“So winning would be nice but basics first, get back here tomorrow and focus on my job.”
