– The second round of the Joburg Open could not be completed this Friday. Play was definitively suspended shortly before four in the afternoon, Spanish mainland time, because the Houghton Golf Club was unplayable. With the rain and thunderstorms, there is still a lot of golf to be played before reaching the cut. Some players from the afternoon session have barely completed three holes. In theory, the tournament will resume this Saturday at six in the morning, and the third round will not start, at the earliest, until ten. Of course, in groups of three and from two tees. If all goes well, 72 holes can still be played, but as soon as there is another interruption, the option of reducing it to 54 will become much more likely.
– Amidst the chaos, the imposing figure of Englishman Brandon Robinson Thompson (-12) has emerged. He is the clear and sole leader after delivering an extraordinary scorecard of 62 strokes, by far the best of the day. It was all built on two phenomenal streaks: four under in the first five holes and another four under between holes 10 and 13. That makes things a bit easier. It was a masterstroke on a day when conditions were not exactly easy. Beyond the rain, a very gusty and annoying wind blew for most of the day. He played a different game and, for now, until the round is completed, he has a three-stroke lead over Sean Crocker (-9) and four over Hugo Towsend (-8). He has opened up a good gap, although it is not definitive. However, if it is played to 54… We shall see.
– Ángel Ayora (-5) is provisionally the best-placed Spaniard. It seems that, for now, the curse of the Armada is still alive and kicking in the Joburg Open. He is in 16th place, although as we say, we will have to see where he stands when the second round is completed. He was able to finish with a scorecard of 71 strokes, one over par. For the same price, he could have been three under, but luck was not on his side in this round. He also missed a couple of short putts that hurt.
– Also with their rounds finished are Jorge Campillo (-2), who scored 70 strokes, par, and has secured the cut, unless something very strange happens tomorrow morning and there is a flood of birdies. The one who is out, unless something strange happens on the other side and the results are very bad, is Quim Vidal (+1). He signed a round of 69 strokes, under par. At the moment, with almost half a round to play, the cut is -1.
– As for the rest of the Spaniards, who were caught on the course by the suspension, the situation is as follows:
Ángel Hidalgo (-1): Green of hole 16, with a half-metre putt for par. He is at par in six holes. One birdie and one bogey.
Sebas García (-1): Fairway of hole 5. He is +2 on the day in four holes. Double bogey on the 3rd.
Alex del Rey (+1): Tee of the 10th. Two birdies, a double bogey, and a bogey in nine holes. +1 on the day.
Rafa Cabrera Bello (+1): Green of hole 10. He is +1 on the day in nine holes. Two bogeys and a birdie.
Iván Cantero (+1): His result on the DP World Tour online is wrong. Where they put a double bogey on the 3rd, it was a bogey. He is at par on the day after four holes. He has a seven-metre eagle putt on hole 5.
Rocco Repetto (+2): He is 30 metres from the flag on hole 1 after the tee shot. Level with the hole. A good birdie projection. He is +5 on the day in 9 holes with two birdies, two bogeys, a triple bogey, and a double bogey.
Manu Elvira (+4): He is on the green of hole 7. He is one under par in six holes. One birdie and five pars.
– Of those on the course, beyond the Spaniards, the best placed is Nathan Kimsey (-8), although he has only been able to play three holes. Two under in that stretch. Jayden Schaper (-7) is one under on the day after seven holes, the same score as Patrick Reed (-2).
– The forecast points to an improvement in the weather for the weekend, so at the Joburg Open they are not entirely pessimistic about the possibility of completing 72 holes, although everything will depend on what happens in the coming hours.
