JC Ritchie played himself into contention on Friday in the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club as he carded a four-under-par 66 to move into a share of sixth after 36 holes.
The reigning Cape Town Open champion goes into the weekend four shots off the lead which is held jointly by Harold Varner III of the United Stated and Spain’s Adri Arnaus on 10-under-par. They lead by two from Cameron Smith of Australia and American Matthew Wolff, with Tommy Fleetwood in fifth alone on seven-under-par.
Ritchie weathered two bogeys in the opening nine, on the sixth and ninth, after he had made two birdies in a row on four and five. He put those bogeys behind him well on the homeward nine, making four birdies on 10, 14, 17 and 18, and he shared sixth place at halfway with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Japanese star Ryosuke Kinoshita.
Jovan Rebula followed his opening round of two-under-par with a level-par 70, and he will go into the weekend in a share of 21st with, amongst others, a pair of Open champions in Shane Lowry and Henrik Stenson.
Jaco Ahlers also made the cut with a second-round level-par 70 to go with the same score in the first, and he will start the weekend in a share of 35th.
James Hart du Preez, Mathiam Keyser, Neil Schietekat and Jbe’ Kruger missed the cut, together with Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.
