Tjaart Van der Walt holds halfway lead at the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open – Golf news
Tjaart Van der Walt of South Africa faltered in the final moments of the second round of the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open presented by Neuflize OBC, to card an even-par score, on Friday, June 14, 2013. Still, he managed to secure
the share of the lead with Robert Dinwiddie, who carded a flawless five-under par 66.
Van der Walt was holding the sole lead entering the second round, courtesy to his four-under par score on day one. He then recorded birdies on the first, fifth and the sixth hole, to go further three strokes ahead of Dinwiddie.
However, bogeys on the ninth, 12th, 15th and the 17th hole did not allow him to enter the weekend with sole lead in hand.
Talking to the European Tour’s official website, he expressed his disappointment in finishing poorly, but was still happy to be in good position to bid for his first European Tour title this week at the Aa St Omer Golf Club.
“I played really solid the first few holes and it seemed no matter where I was on the green I made putts,” said the 38-year-old South African. “I bogeyed the par five ninth though with a six iron in my hand and that took the momentum
out of my round a little.”
“I didn’t hit bad shots but my chipping around the greens was not great and all my bogeys were from next to the green. I'm disappointed but I'm still in there and I was shocked walking up 18 to see I was still top,” he added.
Chris Hanson, Victor Riu and Simon Wakefield, in the meantime, shared the third spot on the leaderboard, after each player accumulating a two-round score of three-under par 139.
Riu, who held the second spot entering the second round, only managed to record two birdies against as many bogeys to finish even par for the second round.
Wakefield and Hanson, on the other hand, recorded rounds of 68 to make a strong charge on the leaderboard. Wakefield carried his bag himself for the first two rounds after he found his caddie injured.
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