A pair of eagles on the front nine on Friday set George Coetzee up for seven-under-par 65 and a charge into the top 10 after the second round of the DP World Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
Added to his first round of one-under-par 71, his second round took him to eight-under for the tournament and a share of ninth. He was three shots off the lead which was shared by Poland’s Adrian Meronk, David Law of Scotland and Dane Rasmus Hojgaard at 11-under. The trio led by one from four players, including first-round leader Ryo Hisatsune of Japan, who added a second-round 70 to his opening 64.
Coetzee’s first eagle came on the third, when he smashed his drive 327 yards down the fairway. His approach over the water on the right was pinpoint accurate and inside eight feet from the pin. His putting has been good, so it was almost a formality. His second came on the eighth when he chipped in from 33 yards. Added to birdies on five and seven, it meant he turned in six-under 30. He had things a little tougher on the way home, during which he made three birdies and bogeys on 15 and 16.
Behind Coetzee, Zander Lombard had a second-round four-under 68 to move to seven-under for the tournament and a share of 15th. Louis de Jager and Oliver Bekker were on five-under in a share of 23rd after rounds of 71 and 72 respectively. Thriston Lawrence and JC Ritchie were on three-under in a share of 47th. Lawrence needed a four-under 68 to get there, and Ritchie had a 69. Shaun Norris and Justin Walters were the last of the South Africans to make the cut. They were on the number at two-under in a share of 57th.
Bryce Easton, Deon Germishuys, Daniel van Tonder and Ockie Strydom all missed the cut.
