Gauteng North pair Keegan de Lange and Rosswell Sinclair share the 36-hole lead in the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit event at Pollak Park Golf Club after matching each other round for round on Sunday.
De Lange and Rosswell both opened with two-under-par 70s and dipped three under par in the second round to open up a two shot gap at five under 139.
Central Gauteng’s Eric Wowor posted the low round of the day and his four under 68 lifted him to joint third alongside Southern Cape’s Cameron Moralee and reigning Nomads SA Boys U-17 Stroke Play champion Dylan Naidoo, also from Central Gauteng.
KwaZulu-Natal pair Jason Broomhead and Gregory McKay share sixth on two under, while first round leader Sentanio Minnie slipped to a tie for eighth with fellow Ekurhuleni junior Kyle McClatchie and Matt Saulez from Gowrie Farm in KwaZulu-Natal.
The frontrunners took pretty alternative routes to arrive in pole position together.
Pretoria Country Club’s De Lange was pretty solid over the 36 holes, mixing three bogeys with eight birdies.
The 2014 Gauteng North Stroke Play champion overcame a bogey start in the first round with birdies at the third, ninth and 17th and countered bogeys at the sixth and 10th holes with gains at the third, seventh, ninth, 12th and 18th holes.
Sinclair’s first trip around the par-72 layout included three bogeys and he started strong in the second round with birdies at the first and third, but lost the advantage almost immediately with a bogey at the par-three fourth and a double bogey at the par-four fifth.
The 17-year-old Centurion player got back into red numbers with a brace of birdies before the turn and an eagle at the 11th. Although he dropped at the 14th, Sinclair was able to erase the damage with a final birdie at the 15th.
“I had a really long break, so I guess I still need to get some of the rust off, but it’s nice to come out so early in the season and start well,” Sinclair said.
“I made a few bad decisions, like when I tried to go for it at the sixth and hit a bad shot out of bounds and I missed a few up-and-downs, but I putted really well and that made a huge difference.”
The 54-hole season-opener, sponsored by the Nomads Golf Club of South Africa, concludes on Monday.
PHOTO: Keegan de Lange shares the 36-hole lead in the Dr Bam Nomads National Order of Merit at Pollak Park Golf Club with Gauteng North stable mate, Rosswell Sinclair; credit Rogan Ward.