Hennie du Plessis will take a one-shot lead into the weekend at the 2022 MyGolfLife Open hosted by Pecanwood after flirting with DP World Tour history on day two in South Africa.
The home favourite fired a 62 on day one to share the lead after 18 holes but was six shots back by the time his second round got under way as the very low scoring continued at Pecanwood Golf and Country Club.
He managed to reel in the leaders and when he made an eagle on the seventh - his 16th hole - he was 18 under and on course to match or even beat the lowest 36-hole score to par ever on the DP World Tour.
A bogey on the ninth ended those hopes but a 65 left him at 17 under, one shot clear of countryman Tristen Strydom and Spanish duo Nacho Elvira and Pablo Larrazábal.
Another South African in Richard Sterne was then at 15 under, two shots clear of Canadian Aaron Cockerill.
A European Challenge Tour regular over the past two seasons, Du Plessis is a two-time winner on the Sunshine Tour and finished in the top ten at the Joburg Open in November.
The 25-year-old revealed after his opening round that his commute this week at his home course was a "one minute drive in a buggy" and he continued to make the most of home comforts as he established his first 36-hole lead on the DP World Tour.
"It was hard work," he said. "I had to stay very patient out there, it definitely was a little bit trickier on the greens this afternoon than yesterday but I kept trusting my lines and it paid off.
"A key moment definitely was on 16 this side. I had the exact same scorecard as yesterday on the back nine. I said to myself, you're in the same position that you were yesterday so you can definitely pull it off again and make three birdies on the trot and put yourself in a good position.
"It's been good, if you stay patient and keep hitting good shots it will happen.
It's been good, if you stay patient and keep hitting good shots it will happen
"I'm just staying patient, I'll keep focusing on my targets and enjoy it."
Starting on the tenth, Du Plessis played the back nine exactly as he had done on day one, picking up shots on the tenth, 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th to turn in 31.
A birdie on the fourth had him in a share and his eagle on the seventh had him in rarefied, record-equalling air but he dropped a shot on the ninth.
Joint overnight leader Elvira had been the first player to make a big move, birdieing the par-five tenth, eagling the par-five 12th and picking up further shots on the 14th, 15th and 18th to turn in 30 and lead by four.
He was 17 under when he birdied the fifth but he dropped a shot on the eighth to sign for a 66 and Strydom was the next man to hit the front.
Round 1: 62 (-10)
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 11, 2022
Round 2: 65 (-7)
Hennie du Plessis is making it COUNT at his home course this week, and leading the way.#MyGolfLifeOpen pic.twitter.com/X0KDaImY9y
Having birdied the first and made a hat-trick of gains from the sixth, he picked up another shot on the tenth only to give it back on the next.
Another three in a row from the 14th had him at 17 under but he too surrendered a late bogey on the last to slip alongside Elvira and Larrazábal after a 66 of his own.
Larrazábal took advantage of the par-five tenth and 12th and while he three-putted the 13th, gains at the 15th, 17th, first, fifth, sixth and seventh saw him record a 65.
Sterne made an eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys in his 65, while Cockerill recorded a 66 with an eagle, five birdies and a single dropped shot.
English pair Laurie Canter and Ross Fisher, home trio Trevor Fisher Jnr, JJ Senekal and Brandon Stone and Thai Jazz Janewattananond were five shots off the lead.
