Ross McGowan showed he is getting back to his best as he opened up a five-shot lead early on day two of the Joburg Open.
The Englishman won the Madrid Masters in 2009 but lost his card in 2011 and his career stalled due to injury problems before he regained his playing privileges at the Qualifying School last year.
The 33 year old fired a 67 on the tougher East Course at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club on Thursday and was going even better on the West Course, with two eagles helping him to nine under for the day and 14 under for the tournament through 15 holes.
Felipe Aguilar was then four under for the day through 13 holes on the West at nine under with Jacques Blaauw, Stuart Manley, Haydn Porteous and Anthony Wall a further shot back.
McGowan opened with back-to-back birdies and picked up another shot on the seventh before giving it back on the eighth. He then birdied the ninth to turn in 33 and a further gain followed on the tenth.
An eagle then came on the par four 12th before a birdie on the 14th and a second eagle of the day on the 15th opened up a sizeable gap.
Aguilar was blemish-free with four birdies in his 13 holes after joining McGowan with a 67 on the East Course in round one.
Porteous was also playing the West Course and he turned in 34 with three birdies and a bogey.
Blaauw had four birdies and a bogey through 14 holes on the East Course while Wall was two under for the day through 12.
Manley had five birdies and two bogeys in a front nine of 34 to sit a shot clear of Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Johan Carlsson, Zander Lombard, Marcel Siem, Erik van Rooyen and overnight leader Justin Walters.
