Staff WriterHaydn Porteous remained the man to catch in The Hyundai Open after torrential weather once again brought play to a halt at Ebotse Links on Friday.
The South African star hadn’t even teed off his second round but still clung to his one-shot lead at eight under par when officials suspended play for the second time in as many days.
After a stop-start first round wrapped up earlier that morning, the Sunshine Tour field barely had time to draw breath before another wave of storms swept through.
The second round will now resume at 07:00 on Saturday, leaving Porteous waiting a little longer to continue his bid for victory.
Trailing him by a single shot are Ireland’s Rowan Lester and home favourites Lyle Rowe and Ryan van Velzen, all sitting at seven under with holes still to play.
Lester Enjoying His South African Sojourn
For Rowan Lester, in his debut Sunshine Tour season, the week has been as much about experience as performance — and he’s loving every moment.
“I’ve been here a few times before with the Irish team. I really like it here and the style of golf suits my game. The food is good and the people are very friendly,” Lester said.
The 26-year-old Dublin native is also encouraged by his recent consistency, even if the results haven’t quite matched the quality of his play.
“I feel like I have been playing nice all season to be honest. I’ve been just a few shots out of top-10s the last sort of six weeks. It’s just the putting that has been letting me down,” he admitted.
“This tournament, I had a few good putts and that’s the difference between shooting one or two under par, compared to six or seven under par. It was nice to keep the bogeys off the scorecard.”
Rookie Standouts Keep Pace
Mexico’s Luis Carrera, who leads the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings, continues to impress. He joins a cluster of players sitting at six under par and well within striking distance as the weather-delayed round continues.
Outlook
With Haydn Porteous still leading despite not striking a shot on Friday, and a talented chasing pack breathing down his neck, Saturday promises to deliver a frantic finish once play resumes.
Ebotse Links, however, remains at the mercy of the skies — and so does the leaderboard.
