Fisher builds five-shot lead

England’s Ross Fisher surged into a five-shot lead on the second day of the South African Airways Open at Fancourt today.

Joint-leader overnight after equalling the course record at The Links with an opening 68, Fisher raced to the turn in 32 with birdies at the second, fifth, sixth and seventh.

It looked as though his charge was coming to an abrupt end when bogeyed the 11th and double-bogeyed the next after finding water with his approach, but birdies on the 14th and 17th steadied the ship.

Another birdie at the last completed a round of 70 for an eight-under-par halfway total of 138, five shots clear of Swede Henrik Nystrom.

“I obviously wasn’t happy with that double bogey on the 12th, but I’ll say it was a ’solid’ two over if there ever was one,” said the 25-year-old, who led after three rounds of the recent Volvo China Open before finishing fourth.

“I made my mistake but then I quickly corrected things.”

Fisher, a member of Wentworth where the European Tour is based, admits his game is not normally suited to links golf, but added: “I love playing links courses and Fancourt is no different.

“You have to be so imaginative around the greens, especially since they are so firm. Any chip you hit has to be spot on and you can’t afford to go for the flag unless you strike the ball just perfect and put enough spin on it.”

Defending champion Tim Clark had shared the overnight lead with Fisher but slumped down the leaderboard on day two.

The South African bogeyed the first two holes, dropped another shot on the seventh and then ran up a double bogey six on the 10th to lie level par.

That was the same as Ernie Els who had completed a second round 70 for a level par halfway total of 146.

Els, playing only his third event since knee surgery and fresh from victory in the Dunhill Championship on Sunday, carded six birdies and three bogeys to lie just outside the top 10.