It was business as usual at Leopard Creek Country Club for Charl Schwartzel as the home favourite opened up a three-shot lead in the second round of Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The nine-time European Tour winner has won in Malelane three times and before last year's tie for 26th, had two wins and two runners-up finishes in four years.
Coming into this week, the 31 year old felt his swing was "better than it's ever, ever been" after admitting that his game was in the doldrums 12 months ago and, in firing a 67 to go with his opening 66, he laid down a big marker to Christiaan Basson and the rest of the chasing pack.
Fellow South African Basson had set the first-round target at eight under and Schwartzel was three behind him as he stood on the 18th when play was suspended on Thursday due to dangerous weather conditions.
The 2011 Masters Tournament winner returned on Friday morning to birdie the last and, after a swift turnaround, gains on the tenth and 12th meant it was six birdies in eight holes and he was tied for the lead.
Another birdie followed on the 18th and when Schwartzel put his tee shot on the first inside a foot, he was the first man into double figures of the week.
He saw putts agonisingly stay up on the fourth and fifth but holed a 25-footer on the sixth after being in trouble off the tee before giving the shot straight back at the next.
A closing birdie on the ninth then ensured he walked off with a three-shot advantage over Basson who was among the later starters and had parred his opening two holes.
Zimbabwean Mark Williams was then two under through five holes at seven under, a shot ahead of clubhouse leaders and former champions Pablo Martin and Richard Sterne.
Martin, winner here in the 2010 and 2011 campaigns, finished bogey-bogey-bogey in round one but showed no signs of a hangover with birdies at the second, fourth, ninth, 11th and 13th.
A scrappy finish then saw him claim two further birdies and bogeys but he signed for a second consecutive 69 and a share of fourth.
Sterne was champion here in the 2009 campaign and he, like Schwartzel, was left stranded overnight before returning to birdie the last and get to four under.
Second-round gains followed on the 12th, 13th, 14th and 18th but bogeys on the third and ninth stalled his momentum as he returns to The European Tour after an injury lay-off.
Eddie Pepperell was then a further shot back after posting the low round of the day so far with a 65. The Englishman parred his opening two holes but a birdie on the 12th was followed by an eagle at the 13th and eight shots were gained in nine holes as he shot up the leaderboard.
A double-bogey on the gettable sixth then stalled his momentum but a closing birdie got him alongside Matt Ford who was level par through four holes.
There was then a large group at four under led by Thomas Aiken and Ben Evans who were in the clubhouse with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.
