Nicolas Colsaerts bogeyed two of his first four holes as last week’s winner Brendan Grace wiped out his four shot overnight advantage at the Volvo Golf Champions.
Colsaerts had started the 35-man winners only European Tour event with a sparkling nine under par 64 to leave the rest trailing in his wake, but he bogeyed the third and then failed to save par on the next as well after going over the green.
At seven under Colsaerts, with his only victory in nearly 200 European Tour events coming at last year’s Volvo China Open, was joined by South African Branden Grace, who qualified by capturing the Joburg Open on Sunday and continued his fine form with birdies at the second and fourth.
Another of the home contingent, Thomas Aiken, birdied the first and third to reach the same mark, but bogeyed the next like Colsaerts.
Retief Goosen gave the locals even more to cheer when an outward 32 brought him into a tie for fourth on five under with England's Lee Slattery and Dutchman Joost Luiten.
Padraig Harrington, second on his own until he double-bogeyed the last hole of his first round, remained four under after four, but Colin Montgomerie slumped to a seven on the long fifth and was back to one under.
Among those who went past him as a result was Open Champion Darren Clarke, playing much better than he had on the opening day.
Setting off again one over the Northern Irishman had four birdies in five holes from the ninth to reach three under.
There was more than just the tournament at stake. The professionals were paired with amateurs for the second day only, with cars on offer to those pros who win the team event and another for anybody who holed-in-one at the 17th.
Grace, still outside the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 160 after his win last week, led on his own when he two-putted the long fifth for his third birdie.
Colsaerts was in a greenside bunker for two, but only just got out and had to settle for par. He was still searching for his first birdie after having nine in his last 11 holes on Thursday.
Goosen holed from the fringe at the short 11th and with his fifth birdie went joint third with Aiken and Luiten.
Clarke was up into a tie for ninth on four under after making it five birdies in six, but going one better than that was Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal, at 596th the lowest-ranked player in the field.
Olazabal turned in 34 and birdied the tenth to be alongside Slattery and Scot Paul Lawrie in sixth place.
Colsaerts was struggling to turn things back his way and from four clear he fell three behind when he had his third bogey on the 341 yard sixth and Grace almost pitched in for eagle.
With Goosen registering his sixth birdie on the 13th there were now South Africans in the top three positions. He and Aiken trailed Grace by two, with Colsaerts down into a tie for fourth with Luiten.
