Grace shoots into lead
01/20/2012 09:02:49 PM
Local Branden Grace has a four-shot lead at the halfway point of the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in South Africa.
Grace carded a brilliant 66 on Friday at The Links at Fancourt in George to move to 12 under overall.
The 23-year-old, who was the last man to qualify for the event after winning last week's Joburg Open, had four birdies before the turn, with his only blemish being a bogey at 7.
He backed that up with another four birdies on the back nine to streak into the lead.
England's Lee Slattery shot a 65 to move to eight under, and he joins South African Thomas Aiken in a share of second place.
Veteran Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal is on seven under the card, one shot clear of a chasing pack of seven men on six under, including overnight leader Nicolas Colsaerts.
The Belgian led by four shots after the first round following his course-record 64 on Thursday, but he endured a tough second round with a three-over par 76 seeing him slide down the leaderboard.
He is joined on six under by South Africans Retief Goosen, Hennie Otto and Louis Oosthuizen, Swede Alexander Noren, Scotland's Paul Lawrie and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
Australian Matthew Zions is 11 shots off the pace on one under in a share of 24th position.