Nedbank Golf Challenge 2016: Friday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Alexander Noren continued his impressive recent form at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Friday, as he raced to a score of eight-under par for the tournament to take a two-shot lead at the halfway stage.

On a day disrupted by inclement conditions, the Swede, who won the British Masters last month, kept his focus and made his way around the Sun City course in South Africa in a five-under par score of 65.

Home crowd favourites Louis Oosthuizen, George Coetzee and Jaco van Zyl are part of a five-man group poised on six-under for the competition.

Here’s how things stand at this prestigious event, hosted by South African golf icon Gary Player, after Day 2 and a closer look at an eventful day’s play.

POS	PLAYER	OVERALL	R2
1	Alexander Noren	-8	67
T2	George Coetzee	-6	69
T2	Louis Oosthuizen	-6	66
T2	Jaco van Zyl	-6	69
T2	Chris Wood	-6	69
T2	Fabrizio Zanotti	-6	68
7	Alejandro Canizares	-5	68
T8	Ross Fisher	-4	72
T8	Branden Grace	-4	69

For the full tournament leaderboard check out the European Tour’s official website.

Noren Stars in South Africa

After missing out on the European team for the 2016 Ryder Cup, Noren has cut a determined figure in subsequent Tour events. 

That unwavering desire was on show again at Sun City. The Swede’s round didn’t get off to the most spectacular of starts, with just one birdie on a solid front nine. However, after play was halted due to thunder, Noren resumed revitalised, picking up five shots and dropping just one on the back nine.

Warren Little/Getty Images

This effort, on the 15th, was indicative of the control the 34-year-old showcased throughout his round, per the European Tour Twitter feed:

Although Noren has displayed wonderful consistency for the first half of the tournament, he’ll be well aware that the job is not done yet, with a clutch of classy competitors behind him.

Indeed, for much of the day Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti was the man to be chased, as he started his round in blistering style.

Zanotti settled into a superb early groove, making birdies at the opening two holes. Things got remarkably better for him at the fourth, too, as he produced a magnificent hole-in-one, finding the bottom of the cup from 213 yards. 

Here’s a look at the moment Zanotti lit up what was a thundery Sun City course:

The 33-year-old, buoyed by that ace, made his way up to eight-under par with two holes to play. However, the effects of a long day seemed to take their toll at 17 and 18, as Zanotti posted back-to-back bogeys to slip back down to six-under.

He’s not out of contention yet, though, with plenty of fine players also on that mark. The man many will be keeping a keen eye on over the weekend is Oosthuizen, as he showed signs of his brilliant best in shooting the lowest round of the day—a six-under 66.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

The 2010 Open champion made it around a familiar venue with no blemishes on his card and is well placed to make a run at Noren on Saturday. He, Coetzee and Van Zyl will all be bidding to become the first home winner of this tournament since 2007, when Trevor Immelman triumphed.

Chris Wood is the other player on six-under, as he registered another 69 to keep in the hunt. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Lasse Jensen is within six shots of the lead, aided by this albatross at the 14th:

The man himself modestly suggested there was a touch of good fortune involved:

Despite a star-studded crew of pursuers, Noren will prove to be a very tough man to dislodge if his performances this season are an accurate barometer.

In addition to his triumph at the British Masters, he’s also sampled victory at the European Masters and Scottish Open events in 2016. The Swede has shown himself to be a very steady front-runner, and as such, something special will be required if he’s to be reeled in.