Dan Bradbury holds a one-shot lead heading into the third round of the weather-affected Joburg Open after the chasing pack were unable to catch him on Saturday morning.
Bradbury followed up his course record-equalling 63 in the first round with a five-under-par 66 on Friday, which included an eagle and six birdies, to hold the overnight clubhouse lead at 13 under as he continued to make the most of a sponsor’s invite.
But he was just one stroke clear when play ended on day two, following a near three-hour stoppage due to thunder and lightning, as Romain Langasque and a a stunning charge from teenager Casey Jarvis and closed the gap.
That meant many of the afternoon starters had to come back early on Saturday to finish off their second rounds.
South African Jarvis surged into contention on day two with an astonishing run of seven straight birdies from the 17th - his eighth.
On the resumption of play on Saturday, with eight holes of his round still to play, 19-year-old Jarvis quickly moved into a share of the lead with a birdie at the sixth but he bogeyed the eighth to finish at 12 under.
Finn Sami Välimäki sits in solo third on the leaderboard after he birdied the 15th - one of six holes he had to complete - to reach 11 under.
France's Langasque was a shot further back after he made a double-bogey six at the 15th and went without a birdie in the seven holes he had to finish, with the Challenge Tour's Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Nathan Kimsey also in the group at ten under after he parred his final four holes on the resumption.
South African quartet Daniel van Tonder, who matched the course record on Friday, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Jbe Kruger and Louis De Jager are all also just three shots adrift of the lead going into the final two rounds.
Defending champion Thriston Lawrence, who was named last season's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year earlier this week, is ten shots off the pace after a two-over-par 73, which included a triple-bogey seven at the 12th when play resumed on Saturday morning.
