By Michael Vlismas
On a day when the wind cut like a one-iron through the field and it was drier in the North Sea than on the golf course, the sun shone on the South African challenge in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Richard Sterne shared the lead on 12-under-par alongside Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre heading into the weekend of this prestigious DP World Tour event. Fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen is just one shot behind them, while Herman Loubser is four shots off the lead.
Sterne claimed a share of the lead with a bogey-free second round of 67 on the Old Course, while Oosthuizen signed for a solid 68 at Kingsbarns. Loubser was on eight-under-par on the Old Course with one hole to complete when play was finally suspended after a battering of wind and rain for most of the day.
“It’s Scotland and that’s what you expect,” said Sterne.
“Fortunately I’ve played here since 2001, so I know all the courses. I always enjoy playing any of these golf courses. It’s a privilege.”
Oosthuizen’s priority was simply to make it through a tough day on the course in light of him not feeling his best this week.
“I’ve actually been sick and I think I haven’t been so worried about golf. I’ve just been trying to get through the day. But I love links golf. I had a good start at Carnoustie in the first round, and it was one of the few times I’ve played that course and the weather has been so good. In this tournament, starting off well gives you good motivation. And then today I felt like I played really well at Kingsbarns, which is a course where I’ve always struggled before,” he said.
Both Sterne and Oosthuizen are bidding to become only the second players in history to win both the Alfred Dunhill Championship and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Fellow South African Branden Grace is to date the only player to have achieved this.
“It would be great to do that just so that I could tell Branden he’s not the only one anymore,” Oosthuizen said.
“But there are so many South Africans playing this week and it’s always nice seeing our flag right up there, so hopefully one of us can pull it through.”
