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Otto seizes Royal Cape lead

Cape Town - Three-time European Tour winner Hennie Otto is perfectly placed to fight for the final spot into this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge as he seized the halfway lead in the Lion of Africa Cape Town Open on Friday.

The joint overnight leader rackedup seven birdies against two bogeys for a five-under-par 67 to open up a two stroke lead on 11-under-par 133.

Otto is rediscovering the form that saw him compete at the highest level in 2011, when he claimed the Dimension Data Pro-Am, the Platinum Classic and the European Tour co-sanctioned South African Open Championship in one season.

Hunting his 13th Sunshine Tour title, the Anahita golfer is growing visibly in confidence with every good shot, and his second tour around the Royal Cape layout contained plenty of fine strikes.

Otto has had just three bogeys in his opening 36 holes - two coming at the par-four third and par-four 14th in the second round - but the rest of his play has been outstanding.

He will be facing some stiff competition on the weekend, though.

Danie van Tonder, who ranks second on the current money list and Titch Moore, a two-time winner this season, both carded 68s to tie two off the pace, while Thomas Aiken, also a three-time European Tour winner, fired a six under 66 to also finish at nine under.

Rookie Rhys West registered a 65 to tie for third on eight under, while European Tour champion Branden Grace and former Africa Open champion Shaun Norris both scorched the course in 64 strokes.

Otto knows the field will be gunning for him on moving day, but the 38-year-old Anahita player is taking it all in his stride.

“Hey, I haven’t shot my 64, yet,” joked Otto. “Seriously, I played nice and steady again. I had a lot of birdie chances and managed to hole a few of them. I had two silly bogeys, but you just have to get on with it. Apart from that, I was pretty happy with how I played.

“It’s nice to be in a strong position going into the weekend. I can’t do anything about the other guys, so why worry about what they are shooting out there. I can only control my own game.”

“I feel very relaxed with my game at the moment,” Otto said.

“I’m in a position where I am expecting to play well, but I will just go out there and enjoy myself tomorrow. The more I play the more confident I get that I can compete. There is more to come, because I know I can still hit the ball a bit better.”

Otto even hosted a golf clinic for disabled golfers from the South African Disabled Golf Association’s First Swing Clinic before he teed it up in the second round.

“It’s always nice to give back to the game, but this clinic was especially rewarding,” he said.

“It was fantastic to see how these youngsters don’t let their disability hold them back; really inspirational stuff. I think we learn more from them than they do from us pros.”

Scores:

133 - Hennie Otto 66 67

135 - Titch Moore 67 68, Danie van Tonder 67 68, Thomas Aiken 69 66

136 - Rhys West 71 65, Chris Swanepoel 68 68, Jake Redman 69 67

137 - Michael Hollick 67 70

138 - Justin Walters 71 67, Ryan Tipping 68 70, Brandon Stone 67 71

139 - Rhys Enoch (WAL) 68 71, Wallie Coetsee 70 69, Jack Harrison (ENG) 69 70, Jean Hugo 71 68, David Drysdale (SCO) 70 69, Adrian Ford 67 72, Lyle Rowe 66 73, Branden Grace 75 64, Merrick Bremner 71 68, Justin Harding 71 68

140 - Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 72 68, Andrew Curlewis 69 71, Omar Sandys 67 73, Dean Burmester 71 69, Shaun Norris 76 64, Jaco Ahlers 71 69, Vaughn Groenewald 71 69, Ross McGowan (ENG) 69 71

141 - Jacques Kruyswijk 75 66, Tjaart van der Walt 71 70, Christiaan Basson 72 69

142 - Bryce Bibby 73 69, Derik Ferreira 69 73, Darryn Lloyd 71 71, Pieter Moolman 73 69, Jbe' Kruger 72 70, Kevin Stone 71 71, Paul de Beer 69 73, Derick Petersen 70 72, Doug McGuigan 70 72, Haydn Porteous 72 70, Tyrone Ferreira 72 70, Desvonde Botes 73 69, George Coetzee 70 72, David Frost 71 71, Peter Karmis 70 72, Stuart Smith (BOT) 70 72

143 - Morne Buys 74 69, Darren Fichardt 70 73, Wynand Dingle 71 72, Madalitso Muthiya (ZAM) 75 68, Jared Harvey 71 72, Nic Henning 68 75, Drikus Bruyns 75 68, JJ Senekal 75 68, Steven Ferreira 70 73

144 - Alex Haindl 73 71, Lindani Ndwandwe 71 73, Mark Williams (ZIM) 69 75, Shaun Smith 75 69, Keenan Davidse 73 71, Andrew Georgiou 68 76, Jeff Inglis (ENG) 67 77, Desne van den Bergh 73 71, Dylan Frittelli 70 74, Neil Schietekat 76 68, Ulrich van den Berg 73 71, Le Roux Ferreira 72 72

Missed the cut:

145 - CJ du Plessis 72 73, Warren Abery 73 72, JC Ritchie 74 71, Grant Veenstra 74 71, Wayne Bradley 73 72, Daniel Greene 70 75, Jake Roos 73 72, James Kamte 76 69, Matthew Carvell 72 73, Eddie Taylor 75 70, Jean-Paul Strydom 72 73

146 - Makhetha Mazibuko 72 74, Theunis Spangenberg 76 70, Toto Thimba (Jnr) 79 67, Jaco Prinsloo 75 71, Callum Mowat 76 70, Steve Surry (ENG) 75 71, Greg Bentley (ZIM) 72 74, Mark Murless 74 72, Anthony Michael 76 70, Tyrone Ryan 73 73, Ruan de Smidt 77 69, Trevor Fisher Jnr 69 77, Roberto Lupini 72 74, John Bele 72 74

147 - Charl Coetzee 77 70, Oliver Bekker 75 72, Louis Calitz 73 74, Justin Turner 75 72, Allan Versfeld 75 72, Tyrone Mordt 74 73, Riekus Nortje 76 71

148 - Drikus van der Walt 72 76, Keith Horne 73 75, Ockie Strydom 74 74, Kevin Stinson (CAN) 75 73, Neo Thubisi 74 74, Gregg Upton 74 74, Torben Baumann (GER) 75 73, Allister de Kock 73 75

149 - Teboho Sefatsa 75 74, Ross Wellington 75 74, James Wade 75 74, Jacquin Hess 80 69, Dean O'Riley 74 75, Colin Nel 74 75, Heinrich Bruiners 72 77

150 - Bennie van der Merwe 77 73, Neil Cheetham (ENG) 75 75, Louis de Jager 78 72, Mervyn Galant 73 77, Johan du Buisson 75 75, Bradford Vaughan 78 72, Attie Schwartzel 78 72, Stefan Engell Andersen (KEN) 76 74, Andrew Odoh (NGA) 78 72

151 - Sipho Bujela 74 77, Ryan Cairns (ZIM) 76 75, Maritz Wessels 77 74, Alan Michell 74 77, PH McIntyre 81 70, Gert Myburgh 76 75, Ryan Thompson 76 75, Gideon Pienaar 73 78, Francesco Laporta (ITA) 76 75, Andrew Light 76 75

152 - Graham van der Merwe 80 72, Divan van den Heever 76 76, PJ Woest 78 74, Kenneth Dube 73 79, Juan Langeveld 76 76, Tertius van den Berg 74 78

153 - Irvin Mazibuko 81 72, Francois Coetzee 79 74

154 - Erik van Rooyen 76 78, Thabang Simon 75 79, Dayne Moore (ZAM) 76 78

155 - JP Laubscher 82 73, Nelson Mudanyi (KEN) 79 76, Michiel Bothma 79 76, Louis Botha 83 72

156 - JG Claassen 76 80, Terence Salo 79 77

157 - Ryan Strauss 81 76

168 - Johann Naude 82 86

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