American Thomas Strandemo added a three-under-par 69 to his tally on Tuesday as he reached the 36-hole mark of the Big Easy IGT Challenge Tour’s Race to Q-School #5 at Modderfontein Golf Club in 11-under-par to take a five-stroke lead.
It wasn’t quite as easy in the second round for Strandemo as it was in the first, but he still managed to make five birdies. Two bogeys kept his scoring in check, but he will feel fairly confident with three players five shots behind him. Arno Pretorius, Ricky Hendler and Gerhard Pepler were all on six-under after rounds of 68, 68 and 71 respectively.
Strandemo started his round, as he did in the first round, with a birdie on the par-five first. He picked up another shot with a birdie on the par-four seventh, but he dropped a shot on the par-three ninth to turn in one-under 35. Birdies on 11, 14 and 17 saw him have a chance of being even further ahead, but a closing bogey-five on the 18th put paid to that.
Two shots behind the group in a share of second place, on four-under, were Basil Wright, Dylan Kok and Kai-Alexander Brandkamp. They signed for rounds of 68, 71 and 72 respectively.
For Strandemo, it will be a question of maintaining his lead in the final round, without getting so complacent that he gets caught from behind.
