Higgins six shots off lead at Joburg Open in South Africa

Ireland's David Higgins is six shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the Johannesburg Open in South Africa.

Meanwhile, little-known Australian Terry Pilkadaris made a bold bid for the lead as the second round of the Joburg Open drew to a close.

Pilkadaris, who is an Asian Tour winner and finished 22nd on the order of merit, was six under with three holes still to play and started off like a bullet with three birdies in the first five holes.

He then dropped a shot on six, only to pick it back up at nine.

A run of three birdies in a row between 13 and 15 catapulted him into second position, one shot off the pace behind South Africans Hennie Otto and James Kingston with three holes to play.

Kingston shot his second-consecutive 66 to move into the lead.

On the second hole he hit a five iron to 15 feet and two-putted for the birdie on the par five. At the ninth, his three iron into the green left him with a 30-foot putt, which he sank easily.

A birdie on 17 and eight iron in from 167 feet on the 18th gave him an eagle opportunity from eight feet out, which he took comfortably.

Kingston could not explain why he seemed so relaxed and said: “I’m probably still in Mozambique on holiday at the moment.

“I enjoy the golf courses and I was very surprised yesterday as I hadn’t played a lot of golf coming into this week.

“To start on the tougher of the two courses, I mentally prepared myself just to get something around par. Making anything under par would be nice but to play the way I did yesterday and shoot a round of five under is quite pleasing.

“This morning I was getting a bit frustrated because you saw the scores from yesterday, where everybody shot the lights out of the course. To go out there and not get anything going and get one under after eight holes is a bit frustrating.

“I then got an eagle on nine and nothing seemed to happen on the back nine again. Then all of a sudden Sven (Struver) got on a run and I finished birdie, eagle which suddenly turned it into a good round.”

Otto, who is known on the local circuit for his temperament and once famously dumped his clubs over a bridge after a bad round in the Nashua Masters, followed up his 65 on the tough East course with a round that included six birdies and a drop to go to 11 under for the tournament.

South African Dean Lambert is two shots back after a 66 on the West course moved him into third. Eight players, including Swedes Magnus Persson and Henrik Nystrom are tied for fifth on eight under.

Earlier Frenchman Raphael Eyraud scored the first hole in one of the tournament on the fifth hole, teeing off with a five iron to register the ace.