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Alfred Dunhill Championship - Day two digest
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Alfred Dunhill Championship - Day two digest

Everything you need to know from Friday in South Africa.

Casey Jarvis jumped ahead, Christo Lamprecht was making waves, Andrew Johnston's comeback continued and Christiaan Bezuidenhout was playing chase the ace on day two of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from round two at Leopard Creek Country Club.

Jarvis hits the front

Jarvis birdied the last in a second consecutive 67 to take a one-shot lead into the weekend. The home favourite started the day two shots off the lead but carded six birdies and a single bogey to be the only player at ten under after 36 holes. England's Marco Penge was then at nine under after matching the lowest round of the day with a 66, one clear of countryman Paul Waring and South Africans Christo Lamprecht, Charl Schwartzel and Robin Williams. "I keep learning out here as the weekends go by," Jarvis said. "I'm just trying to stay patient at the moment and learn as much as I can. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. It's a great place to be, I love being in the bush so I can't wait."

Lamprecht hungry for more

Amateur Lamprecht insisted there was still better to come after a second-round 69 put him right in contention. The reigning Amateur Championship winner stunned the crowds on day one with a 418-yard drive in his opening 67 and he continued to impress on Friday. The 22-year-old made six birdies and three bogeys to get to eight under but revealed he was not satisfied with the way he was playing as he looked to become the first amateur winner on the DP World Tour since Shane Lowry in 2009. "Tee to green is probably not what I've wanted," he said. "I've hit a lot of good shots but I've hit some really bad ones and I've kind of got away with that a little bit. I guess I've been a little bit lucky on some holes for sure but I've used that luck, I've played really smart golf."

Beef feeling the buzz

Johnston was delighted to be truly feeling the buzz of professional golf again after making the cut. The man affectionately known as Beef is playing just his third DP World Tour event in 25 months after fighting a long-term hand injury. He missed the entirety of the 2022 season and while he made the cut at the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, he once again found himself sidelined as the frustrating search for a solution to his injury issues continued. Having now had surgery, he missed the cut by one shot at last week's Investec South African Open Championship, although a second-round 68 showed glimpses of the golf that made him a winner at the 2016 Open de España. Rounds of 69-72 at Leopard Creek mean he will be playing the weekend in South Africa and the 34-year-old is glad to once again have the competitive juices flowing. "You don't get the buzz," he said of his absence. "It means a lot. I'm in for the weekend and anything can happen on the weekend. If I drive the ball a bit better I know I can shoot a couple of good scores and see where we can finish."

Bez makes an ace

The rapid rate of holes-in-one on the 2024 season continued as we had our fifth in as many events - Bezuidenhout holing a wedge from 151 yards at the fifth.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Trees? What trees?

You know what they say about trees being 90% air? That's nonsense in a golfing context even if it is true, but this isn't - take a bow Dale Whitnell.

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