Nic Henning took the second-round lead at the halfway stage of the Vodacom Players Championships at the Royal Cape Golf Club yesterday as less-fancied players dominated the leaderboard.

Henning, who is recovering from major back surgery, had a 36-hole total of 134, 10-under-par, for a one-stroke lead over compatriots Dean van Staden and rising young star Hennie Otto, who were both on 9-under.

With many players struggling on the greens in the hot conditions, Ireland's Darren Clarke found them to his liking in adding a four-under-par 68 for a halfway total of 138.

Raymond Kane, the former amateur international and twice Irish Close champion, will start a new career as a professional next year after a third round of level par 72 at the European Seniors Tour qualifying schol in Turkey yesterday.

Kane finished on one-under-par 215 for sixth place and a guaranteed start in next season's seniors circuit. Arnold O'Connor, who led after the first round, finished with a disappointing four-over-par 76 for joint 11th place on 218.

Leading third-round scores and totals in the European Seniors Tour qualifying school at Antalya, Turkey (Gbr and Irl unless stated):

Greg Turner played the patience game was rewarded with the outright lead at the halfway mark of the Australian PGA Championship at Victoria Golf Club yesterday.

It paid off as he fired his second four-under 68 to be eight under. Turner, who won the 1997 British Masters, leads veteran New South Welshman George Serhan (69, 68) and West Australian left-hander Nick O'Hern (71, 66), who share second spot at seven-under-par 137.

Ian Woosnam's three-underpar opening round of 68 in the Argentine Open left him two shots adrift of home favourite Angel Cabrera at the Martindale Country Club in Buenos Aires.