Henrik Stenson Leads Through 36 at Nedbank

Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Henrik Stenson pulled out in front during the 2nd round at the Nedbank and leads by 1 going into the weekend.

It was a long, rain-interrupted second round at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, but ultimately, the top ranked player in the field came away with the lead at the halfway point. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, battling through an illness all week, reeled off a marvelous back nine at Gary Player Country Club to claim a one stroke advantage over his playing partner, South Africa’s Jaco Van Zyl.

Stenson started out strong, playing his first five holes in three-under, but a trio of consecutive bogeys on six, seven and eight forced him to make the turn at even par for his round. After holing up in the clubhouse for the two-hour rain delay, the 39-year-old was back at it, circling five birdies on the back nine and finally coming in with a bogey-free 31. In total, Stenson’s round of 67 was one of the finest of the day, bettered by only American Robert Streb, who sits alone in third.

A former champion at the Nedbank, Stenson, currently at 11-under, was bedridden for three days earlier this week. On Tuesday, he pegged his chances of being tournament-ready at five percent, so it’s pretty clear that he was ailing. Stenson seems to have found another gear, though–one that’s allowing him to not only compete, but to lead. Credit to him for finding a way.

Van Zyl, certainly the David to Stenson’s Goliath, had a strong round of his own. His score of 68 was good enough to put him at 10-under on the week, just a single stroke off the pace. The home crowd favorite was dynamite at the beginning of his round–Van Zyl birdied the first and eagled the par-five second, putting him out in front for the day’s early stages.

It didn’t last. Van Zyl bogeyed the fifth and, while he circled a pair of birdies around the turn, was unable to stretch his lead. Meanwhile, Stenson and Streb had remarkable back nine performances. Still, the South African is in a great position to notch his first career European Tour victory.

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Streb, for his part, shot a tournament-low 66 today, going bogey-free over the first 15 holes. The Kansas State product’s game stayed subdued on the front nine, but he exploded on the back, making an eagle on 10 and playing the first six holes in five-under. He ran out of gas at the end, bogeying 16 and 17, but Streb is still in good shape to hoist his first trophy in more than a year.

Aussie Marc Leishman is in solo fourth, sitting at eight-under after twin 68s. Just three strokes behind Stenson, he’s squared exactly one bogey over the first 36 holes. Kiradech Aphibarnrat, after making six birdies today, is at six-under, in solo fifth. Englishman Ross Fisher, at four-under, has sole possession of sixth.