Scott Jamieson was not about to let a last hole bogey sour his quest for success ahead of the weekend rounds of the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in South Africa.
The Scot had just pared the 15th hole to be then sharing second place on four-under par when the threat of lightning saw players called from the course and eventually resulted in a two-and-a-half-hour delay.
Jamieson was competing alongside Frenchman Victor Dubuisson who had birdied 15 to move three clear of the field at seven-under par.
The duo returned to each par 16 and 17 but with both then dropping a shot at the last for Jamieson to sign for a disappointing one-over par 73 and a share of fourth at three-under par.
Scott Jamieson tees off at Sun City on day two of the Nedbank Challenge. (Photo – Eruopean Tour/Getty)
Dubuisson, 27 and a two-time Tour winner of the Turkish Airlines Open settled for a two-under par 70 and a two-shot lead at six-under par in bright but continuing windy conditions.
Two players – South African Darren Fichardt (69) and England’s Lee Westwood (70) – share second place at four-under.
Westwood, 42 won a second of three Sunshine Tour title on the Sun City course with his runaway eight-shot success at the 2010 Nedbank Golf Challenge while he successfully defended his title a year later.
And Westwood is clearly relishing thoughts of a third Nedbank title and what also would be a 24th European Tour victory and a 44th win worldwide in his 24th year in the pro ranks.
“I have been coming here since 1998 and experience is everything around this golf course as there’s some pins that you just can’t go at and you have to play away form.,” he said.
Fichardt, also 42 earlier this year captured a fifth Tour success earlier this with victory in the Joburg Open and with all but three of Pretoria-born golfer’s 20 pro career wins having been on the Africa continent.
His second round included four birdies and just the one dropped shot.
Fichardt, and in a bizarre twist, was the very last player into the field and only learning very late on the eve of the event he would be teeing-up in the $US 7.5m tournament thanks to withdrawals.
“I was probably the most bitter person in South Africa on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, because I really, really am playing well and it was just a shame I wasn’t getting into these events,” he said.
“So unfortunately for Matthew Southgate and Anthony Wall, but fortunate for me, they had to pull out, and it gave me an opportunity to give it a crack.
“That’s just how the game those. I have an opportunity to play this tournament, and I love this track. My game is really where I want it to be.”
Jamieson’s round was a sour cocktail of birdies at the first, 10th and 11th holes but also bogeys two, three, 14 and the last for a second day running.
“It’s not pleasing to bogey the last but overall it was really difficult out there as I have a few 3-putts on the front nine, which was disappointing so I was out in 1-over when it definitely could have been a couple better,” he said.
“Everything was difficult, especially putting. You get blown about in the gusts, and then yeah, it was solid on the back nine.
“It was exceptionally tough and not only the wind speed was changing all the time but the wind direction.
“It was obviously, like I said yesterday, it’s such a visually intimidating course, you need to be pretty sure where your ball is going to go.
“I’m still in a strong position going into the weekend, so hopefully more of the same.”
Richie Ramsay kick-started his second round in soaring manner holing out for an eagle ‘3’ at his opening hole, the par five 10th and certainly impressing playing partner and double Major winning, Martin Kaymer.
Ramsay, however, gave back both shots gained with a double at the next only to then regain the strokes with back-to-back birdies at his fifth and sixth holes.
The Edinburgh golfer was again soaring when he eagled his 10th hole, and the par five first one the scorecard, to move for four-under but then also proceeded to bogey his 12th and 15ht hole in an eventual two-under par 70.
Ramsay heads to the weekend sharing tenth place at one-under par.
Other Scots – David Drysdale (73) at one-over, Marc Warren 76 at three-over and Stephen Gallacher (75) at five-over p
