After a slow start in the second round of the Sunshine Tour’s Stella Artois Players Championship on Friday, Luca Filippi put pedal to the metal and went nine-under for his last 11 holes to card his second successive eight-under-par 64 at Dainfern Country Club.
That put him in a share of the lead with American Dan Erickson, who, earlier in the day, had been superb for his bogey-free second round of 10-under-par 62 with two eagles and six birdies. The pair led by from five players, including first-round leader Darren Fichardt, who signed for a four-under 68. The others who shared third were Lyle Rowe, Tristen Strydom, Luke Jerling and Jovan Rebula.
“At the start of my round on the 10th, I got caught up in thinking I would battle to follow a low first round with another in the second,” said Filippi. “Then I made a really soft bogey on the 15th, when I had a sand wedge in my hand and hit it in the water. I was pleased to be able to get that out of the way, and make up for the mistake with some birdies ahead of the turn.”
Getting things back on track was a sign for him to go after the low scores that are clearly out there for the taking on a course that is vulnerable to the skills of professionals. “It’s quite a short course,” said Filippi, “but that means you have to be pretty precise with your wedge play, and then good with your putting, too.”
Filippi, who has had two second-place finishes on the Sunshine Tour this year, including in the Limpopo Championship just two weeks ago, rose to the challenge, and made seven birdies on his way home. “That’s the first time I have made 29 for nine in a tournament,” he said. “I found myself thinking a little far ahead during that back nine, and there’s still a lot of golf to be played. I know I can go low here, as I’ve proved to myself, but I have to just play what’s in front of me on the weekend now.”
That there are low scores to be had was proved by the cut being made at five-under-par, with 64 players making it to the weekend on that total or better, and 92 players returning a 36-hole total of under par – that’s 28 players who broke par who won’t be teeing it up for the rest of the tournament.
Heading into the weekend in a share of eighth were Jaco van Zyl and Keagan Thomas on 13-under, just three back. In a share of 10th on 12-under were Kyle Barker, Rupert Kaminski, Malcolm Mitchell and Leon Vorster.
With a further 11 players on 10-under or better, it’s going to be quite a weekend.
