South African Open: Tapio Pulkkanen Leads At Halfway Point

Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen has taken the lead of the South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg after carding a bogey-free round of 66.

Tapio Pulkkanen followed up his opening round of 65 with a five-under-par round on Friday afternoon, helped by a string of birdies on his front nine, giving him the halfway lead at the South African Open.

The Finn is on the hunt for his first European Tour title, and having only carded a single bogey across the first 36 holes of the event, he is in fine shape to do so.

He leads by a single shot from a quarter of South Africans playing on home soil, along with Englishman Sam Horsfield, with the group all in a tie for 2nd at -10.

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Horsfield shot a 68 on Friday, backing up his opening round of 64 to stay within a shot of Pulkkanen. He is joined by Jaco Ahlers, Trevor Fisher Jr, Thriston Lawrence and the young prodigy Jayden Trey Schaper.

Overnight leader Johannes Veerman is among the group in a tie for 7th, two shots back. The American could only card a level par round of 71 after his amazing 62 on Thursday.

He is joined by the English pair of Harry Hall and Jack Senior, and South African Daniel Greene, with the group rounding out the top ten at Randpark GC.

Reigning champion Louis Oosthuizen is three shots back at -8, alongside countrymen Branden Grace and George Coetzee, and England’s Andy Sullivan, the 2015 winner of the South African Open.

Gavin Green and Marcel Siem are a further shot back, with Chris Paisley and Thomas Detry among those in the group at -6, five shots off the leading Finn.

Erik van Rooyen and Antoine Rozner were both among those who made it past the cut line, which stood at a very low score of -4. 76 players made it through to the weekend’s action in Johannesburg.

Home favourites Charl Schwartzel, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Zander Lombard are among those that failed to make it through to Saturday’s play, along with the likes of AFRASIA BANK Mauritius Open winner Rasmus Højgaarad and the British pair of Jamie Donaldson and Eddie Pepperell.

Back at the top, and it will be Tapio Pulkkanen that leads the field going into the third round. He tees off at 11:00 (GMT+2), alongside the England’s Sam Horsfield and South African amateur Jayden Trey Schaper.

Play starts at 06:30 (GMT+2), with the second South African amateur Casey Jarvis leading the field out on Saturday morning. However, will it be Pulkkanen at the top come to the end of day three, or could one of the chasing pack take the lead?

Leaderboard:

1 (-11): Tapio Pulkkanen (FIN)
T2 (-10): Jaco Ahlers, Trevor Fisher Jr., Jayden Trey Schaper (A), Thriston Lawrence (all RSA), Sam Horsfield (ENG)
T7 (-9): Jack Senior (ENG), Daniel Greene (RSA), Johannes Veerman (USA), Harry Hall (ENG)

Selected Others:

T11 (-8): Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Branden Grace (RSA)
T23 (-7): Gavin Green (MAS), Marcel Siem (GER), Min Woo Lee (AUS)
T30 (-6): Chris Paisley (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Haydn Porteous (RSA)
T44 (-5): Antoine Rozner (FRA), Rikard Karlberg (SWE), Marcus Armitage (ENG)
T59 (-4): Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Rourke van der Spuy (RSA), Joachim Hansen (DEN)

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Missed Cut:

T77 (-3): Wil Besseling (NED), Zander Lombard (RSA), Rasmus Højgaard (DEN)
T100 (-2): Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)
T131 (E): Joel Sjöholm (SWE), Jamie Donaldson (WAL), Raphaël Jacquelin (FRA)
T159 (+2): Eddie Pepperell (ENG), Francesco Laporta (ITA)

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