Purcell and Sugrue lead strong challenge in South Africa; Campbell returns
Conor Purcell (Ireland) birdies the 18th green during the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship ( Eisenhower Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort Picture by Pat Cashman
Portmarnock's Conor Purcell made nine birdies in a spectacular, eight-under 64 to move up to tied second at halfway in the South African Amateur Strokeplay at De Zalze.
South African superstar Jayden Schaper (17) shot a 63 to lead five shots from Purcell and compatriot Garrick Hugo, who also shot 63, on 14-under par with Mallow's James Sugrue tied for fourth with Scotland's Euan Walker on eight under after a 69.
Purcell, the reigning Australian Amateur champion, started his round on the back nine. He erased a birdie start with a bogey at 11, but made five birdies on the bounce from the par-five 14th to go six-under before further gains at the second, seventh and eighth earned him a share of second with Higgo.
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— GolfRSA (@GolfRSA) February 28, 2019
ROUND 2 RECAP:
2019 #SAStrokePlay at De Zalze Golf Club
CONOR PURCELL 🇮🇪
ROUNDS: 71 64
SCORE: 9-under 135
POSITION: T-2#AfricaSwing #itstartshere #GolfRSA #battletothebitterend #golf #golfing #golfswing #golfingmoments #gunforglory #goforgold @ConnorPurcell3 pic.twitter.com/31jFgSZPUb
Naas' Robert Brazill shot 71 to get to three-under with Caolan Rafferty rallying impressively from his opening 75 with a 67 to join Mark Power (71) on two-under.
Castle's Peter McKeever (70) was a shot further back with Robbie Cannon (72) and Ronan Mullarney (73) also making the cut on level par.
Massereene's Tiarnan McLarnon (75) missed the one-over cut by three strokes with Alex Gleeson (75) six strokes further back.
ROUND 2 RECAP:
— GolfRSA (@GolfRSA) February 28, 2019
2019 #SAStrokePlay at De Zalze Golf Club
JAMES SUGRUE 🇮🇪
ROUNDS: 67 69
SCORE: 8-under 136
POSITION: T-4#AfricaSwing #itstartshere #GolfRSA #battletothebitterend #golf #golfing #golfswing #golfingmoments #gunforglory #goforgold pic.twitter.com/DxklZH9z0b
In the Spanish Amateur Championship, Castle's Robert Moran and Dun Laoghaire's Alan Fahy opened with level par 71s to share 13th, four shots behind Spain's Eduard Rousaud and England's Ben Hutchinson at Las Colinas in Alicante.
Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell fired a 75 in his first event after 16 months out with a hand injury to share 64th with only the top 32 after today's second round qualifying for the matchplay stages tomorrow.
Colin Woodroofe, TJ Ford and Eanna Griffin also shot 75s with Eugene Smith (77), Reece Black (78) and Paul Coughlan (79) completing the scoring.
Lisburn's Paula Grant is one shot outside the projected cut mark, tied for 34th, after opening with a two-over 73 in the Spanish Women's Amateur at Zaudín Golf in Seville, where Douglas' Sara Byrne lies 96th after an 82.
