Golf:The Northern Irish pair of Darren Clarke and Gareth Maybin both lost ground on the second day of the Africa Open as a trio of players moved into a share of the lead at East London Golf Club.
Clarke's card showed too much blue (indicating bogey scores) and not enough red (birdies) as the former outweighed the latter, four to two, in a two over round of 75.
It dropped the 42-year-old back to two under and is all the more disappointing considering yesterday's bright start when he shot 69. Clarke is joined on the same mark as Ballyclare native Maybin, who remained static with his level par round on the par 73 layout.
Both are safely into the weekend but they have a mountain to climb if they are to feature at the business end come Sunday afternoon.
At the halfway stage the Irish contingent find themselves eight shots adrift of the overnight lead held by South Africa’s Brandon Grace (69), Markus Brier (66) and Miles Tunnicliff (69), who are all on 10 under 136.
Tunnicliff (42) burst out of the blocks with five consecutive birdies, but such a fast start could never be maintained and the English veteran eventually covered the remaining 13 holes in one over, while Austrian Brier carded the low round of the day.
“The back nine was extremely tough,” said Tunnicliff. “It is a little more difficult and the wind was picking up and up on every hole. I was just trying to survive out there in the end, just trying to keep the ball in play.
“I started really well, but then with that wind things were bound to slip a little bit. I hit a few iffy shots around the turn and towards the end, but managed to have a nice chip in at the last which makes it very nice.”
Brier managed well in the windy conditions, and although the driver cost him on a couple of occasions, his putter more than made up for it.
“I think I converted all my birdie chances, I didn’t waste anything,” said the Vienna golfer. “The bogeys were because of three wayward drives, but except (for) that, everything went well.”
If cream rises to the top then it's safe to say the double-barrelled South African challenge, in the form of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, should be taken seriously over the next 48 hours.
British Open champion Oosthuizen is just one shot off the lead after adding a fine six under 67 to his opening 70. Defending champion Schwartzel was two shots further back after his 70.
The €1 million event will be without one its biggest names over the weekend after Retief Goosen could only manage a level par 73, and at two over, was two shots outside the projected cut mark.
First round leader Brandon Pieters dropped down the leaderboard after a 77 left the South Africa three under.
