Jaco Van Zyl and John Parry made their way to the top of the leaderboard before play was suspended due to strong winds at the Africa Open.
With balls moving on the greens at East London Golf Club – particularly on the exposed third hole – European Tour Chief Referee John Paramor was left with no choice but to call the players in until the breeze died down.
Given the testing conditions, Parry and Van Zyl’s scoring was remarkable.
South African Van Zyl, who has 12 top-ten finishes on The European Tour but is yet to win, had three birdies, a bogey and an eagle at the long 15th to reach four under through 14 holes.
England’s Parry won during his rookie campaign in 2010, but lost his card a year later before romping to victory at Qualifying School to ensure a return to The European Tour.
He had five birdies and a bogey in his first 11 holes to join Van Zyl, with South African Oliver Bekker one back on three under with two holes left to play.
“It’s getting really difficult out there, to the point where the wind is literally blowing you off your feet. I think it’s a pretty good call, because it’s not getting easier,” said Van Zyl.
“It’s an unfortunate circumstance of playing a sport where weather is a part of what we do.”
