Grégory Bourdy and Charl Schwartzel continued to fight it out at the top of the Alfred Dunhill Championship leaderboard as the second round unfolded at Leopard Creek.
Frenchman Bourdy, the overnight leader by one after starting with a six under par 66, followed four birdies with his first dropped shot of the week at the third - his 12th.
However, he picked up another shot at the short fifth, chipped in at the next for an eagle two and drained a 30 foot putt at the eighth for a 65 and 13 under par total.
“I'm feeling great and I played two good rounds,” said the 30 year old. “I had many birdie opportunities again today, especially on the first holes.
“My game was again solid, and I made just one bogey today, so it was a great round again.
“It's going to be an exciting weekend. Charl (Schwartzel) is a great player, one of the best in the world. In South Africa it's always nice to play with some of the top players in the world on Saturday and Sunday. I like these guys, so it should be a great time.
“It's tough all week - you have to do the job over four rounds and that is difficult. When you play well you have to see how you are on Sunday. Tomorrow I will try to do the same - shot by shot, play my game. I think the top players will do the same.”
Only Schwartzel could live with the three-time European Tour winner’s pace: the 2005 champion and pre-tournament favourite carded six birdies of his own and an eagle at the long 18th to be eight under for the day and level with Bourdy through 14 holes.
Another South African, Darren Fichardt, was four further back after four unanswered birdies through his first 15 holes, with England’s Richard Finch alone in fourth on seven under par.
Schwartzel missed a good birdie chance from inside five feet at the eighth, and as a result signed for an eight under par 64 to join Bourdy in the clubhouse on 131.
Fichardt’s 68 left him four adrift in third, and there were a further three shots back to the rest of the field.
