Share

McGowan charges clear in Joburg Open

Johannesburg - Ross McGowan has his head down and he’s charging after his superb nine-under-par 62 on Friday in the second round of the Joburg Open being played at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

The Englishman came storming home down the back nine of the West Course in 29 shots with two eagles and two birdies, and finished his morning’s work with his halfway total on 14-under, three clear of a pack of chasers.

Now it’s back to the East Course for the final two rounds after all completed a round on each of the two at Royal.

“I played well yesterday and I started well today opened up with two birdies, went a bit flat for a few holes and then obviously on the back nine, fireworks happened,” McGowan told the Sunshine Tour website.

And while talk of 59 is almost inevitably nothing but hype, but for a bogey on the eights and golf’s mythical barrier could have been under threat. “I think I needed to be a few shots better on the front nine to even consider it,” said McGowan “but I’ve been close before in Madrid, shot 60, so you never know. I’ll try to get on the East Course tomorrow and go low again.”

Gathered on 11-under behind him was a group consisting of Chilean Felipe Aguilar, Anthony Wall of England, and South Africans Haydn Porteous and Jean Hugo. Aguilar and Hugo each carded six-under-par 65 on the West Course, Porteous was five-under there, and Wall went five-under on the East Course.

“It was a very consistent round, I hit a lot of greens, even though I three-putted one, which was on a par-five which didn’t actually hurt, you couldn’t even tell it happened,” said Aguilar of his round, which was even more impressive since he competed in an iron man triathlon in his native Chile last week.

Porteous and Hugo are the two leading South Africans at the halfway mark and both are relishing the work to be done over the weekend.

“We’ve still got half a tournament to go,” said Porteous. “It’s going to be a good two days on the weekend and you know I’ve just got to go with the same approach I’ve had so far.”

Hugo was a little chastened by a bogey on the 18th on the West Course, but up for the task ahead. “That was a bit of a tired swing,” he said of the bogey. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of the weekend. It’s going to be good. We’ll see what happens. If I play the way I did today then you never know.”

Chasing McGowan down will be the first order of business.

Scores:

129 - Ross McGowan (ENG) 67 62

132 - Felipe Aguilar (CHL) 67 65, Anthony Wall (ENG) 65 67, Haydn Porteous (RSA) 66 66, Jean Hugo (RSA) 67 65

133 - Stuart Manley (WAL) 66 67, Johan Carlsson (SWE) 66 67

134 - Justin Walters (RSA) 65 69, Paul Dunne (IRL) 71 63, Erik van Rooyen (RSA) 70 64, Bjorn Akesson (SWE) 70 64,Richard Bland (ENG) 67 67

135 - Zander Lombard (RSA) 71 64, Jacques Blaauw (RSA) 66 69, Tjaart van der Walt (RSA) 70 65, Mark Williams (ZIM) 65 70,Richard Sterne (RSA) 69 66, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 70 65, Jason Scrivener (AUS) 69 66

136 - Marcel Siem (GER) 66 70, Alex Haindl (RSA) 72 64

137 - Mark Foster (ENG) 69 68, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 71 66, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA) 67 70, Trevor Fisher Jnr (RSA) 67 70,Daan Huizing (NED) 70 67, Rhys West (RSA) 68 69, Rhys Davies (WAL) 66 71, Andrew Johnston (ENG) 68 69,Daniel Im (USA) 69 68

138 - Merrick Bremner (RSA) 72 66, Dean Burmester (RSA) 71 67, Paul Lawrie(SCO) 69 69, Ricardo Gouveia (POR) 67 71,Andrew Curlewis (RSA) 69 69, Richard McEvoy (ENG) 72 66, Jens Fahrbring (SWE) 69 69, Chris Swanepoel (RSA) 68 70,Jared Harvey (RSA) 67 71, Laurie Canter (ENG) 69 69, Dimi Papadatos (AUS) 71 67

139 - Tom Lewis (ENG) 71 68, David Howell (ENG) 65 74, Callum Mowat (RSA) 70 69, Tano Goya (ARG) 71 68,Brandon Stone (RSA) 69 70, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 68 71, Tyrone Ferreira (RSA) 72 67, Clement Berardo (FRA) 69 70,Daniel Greene (RSA) 70 69, Francesco Laporta (ITA) 72 67, Chris Hanson (ENG) 70 69, Sebastien Gros (FRA) 70 69,Seve Benson (ENG) 69 70, Lee Slattery (ENG) 71 68, George Coetzee (RSA) 72 67, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 71 68,Daniel Brooks (ENG) 68 71

140 - Steven Ferreira (RSA) 69 71, Marco Crespi (ITA) 70 70, Jbe' Kruger (RSA) 70 70, Ernie Els (RSA) 70 70,Colin Nel (RSA) 72 68, Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA) 72 68, Rourke van der Spuy (RSA) 71 69, Scott Henry (SCO) 71 69,Jacques Kruyswijk (RSA) 70 70, Kevin Phelan (IRL) 68 72, JC Ritchie (RSA) 73 67, Max Orrin (ENG) 69 71,Michael Hoey (NIR) 71 69, Craig Lee (SCO) 71 69, Oliver Fisher (ENG) 70 70, Michael Hollick (RSA) 68 72,Carlos Del Moral (ESP) 73 67, David Horsey (ENG) 72 68, Michael Jonzon (SWE) 66 74, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 71 69

Missed the cut:

141 - Marcus Kinhult (SWE) 72 69, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 74 67, Tom Murray (ENG) 70 71, Morten Orum Madsen (DEN) 70 71,Renato Paratore (ITA) 74 67, Lasse Jensen(DEN) 69 72, Anthony Michael (RSA) 72 69, Pablo Martin Benavides (ESP) 71 70,Steven Jeppesen (SWE) 74 67, Ryan Tipping (RSA) 71 70, Pedro Oriol (ESP) 69 72, Ockie Strydom (RSA) 71 70,Sam Walker (ENG) 69 72, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 67 74, Justin Harding (RSA) 68 73, Mikael Lundberg (SWE) 71 70,CJ du Plessis (RSA) 72 69

142 - Makhetha Mazibuko (RSA) 69 73, Keith Horne (RSA) 74 68, Graeme Storm (ENG) 69 73, Steve Surry (ENG) 71 71,David Dixon (ENG) 70 72, Jason Froneman (RSA) 68 74, Espen Kofstad (NOR) 70 72, JJ Senekal (RSA) 69 73,Thanda Mavundla (RSA) 75 67, Hugues Joannes (BEL) 70 72, Christiaan Basson (RSA) 70 72, Matteo Manassero (ITA) 75 67,Matthew Baldwin (ENG) 71 71, Jamie McLeary (SCO) 73 69, Bernd Ritthammer (GER) 69 73, Martin Rominger (SUI) 70 72,Bryn Flanagan (RSA) 72 70, Matthew Carvell (RSA) 69 73, Tyrone Ryan (RSA) 72 70, Nicolo Ravano (ITA ) 70 72

143 - Heinrich Bruiners (RSA) 71 72, Lyle Rowe (RSA) 72 71, Louis de Jager (RSA) 71 72, Dylan Naidoo (AMA) (RSA) 70 73,Garth Mulroy (RSA) 76 67, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 71 72, Ben Evans (ENG) 69 74, Doug McGuigan (SCO) 70 73,Gary King (ENG) 75 68, Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 74 69, James Robinson (ENG) 74 69

144 - Vaughn Groenewald (RSA) 69 75, Simon Dyson (ENG) 74 70, Borja Virto Astudillo (ESP) 75 69, Ruan de Smidt (RSA) 73 71,Matthew Nixon (ENG) 72 72, Neil Schietekat (RSA) 72 72, Jake Roos (RSA) 75 69, Mark Murless (RSA) 69 75,Jack Harrison (ENG) 76 68, Joachim B. Hansen (DEN) 68 76, Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 75 69

145 - Nacho Elvira (ESP) 76 69, Matt Ford (ENG) 77 68, David Drysdale (SCO) 74 71, Danie van Tonder (RSA) 74 71,Trevor Immelman (RSA) 74 71, Tyrone Mordt (RSA) 69 76, Toby Tree (ENG) 73 72, Matthew Southgate (ENG) 74 71,Peter Whiteford(SCO) 75 70, Bradford Vaughan (RSA) 73 72, Charl Coetzee (RSA) 73 72, Ryan Fox (NZL) 70 75

146 - Andrew Georgiou (CYP) 74 72, Morne Buys (RSA) 76 70, Madalitso Muthiya (ZAM) 76 70, Shaun Norris (RSA) 70 76,Nino Bertasio (ITA) 74 72, Kevin Rundle (RSA) 73 73, Peter Karmis (RSA) 73 73, Theunis Spangenberg (RSA) 76 70,Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 75 71, Jaco Van Zyl (RSA) 77 69, Grant Veenstra (RSA) 71 75, Desvonde Botes (RSA) 79 67,Jeff Winther (DEN) 75 71

147 - Gary Boyd (ENG) 72 75, Jin Jeong (KOR) 70 77, Hennie Otto (RSA) 72 75, Lukas Nemecz (AUT) 72 75,Jens Dantorp (SWE) 79 68, Ruaidhri McGee (IRL) 71 76, Keenan Davidse (RSA) 74 73, Dominic Foos (GER) 77 70,Warren Abery (RSA) 75 72, Robert Dinwiddie (ENG) 73 74, Derick Petersen (RSA) 72 75, Jacquin Hess (RSA) 72 75,John Hahn (USA) 73 74, Gert Myburgh (RSA) 75 72

148 - Michiel Bothma (RSA) 71 77, Jake Redman (RSA) 74 74, Ryan Evans (ENG) 71 77, Julien Brun (FRA) 74 74,Bradley Neil (SCO) 75 73, Divan van den Heever (RSA) 72 76, Wallie Coetsee (RSA) 67 81, James du Preez (AMA) (RSA) 76 72

149 - Ulrich van den Berg (RSA) 72 77, Breyten Meyer (RSA) 80 69, Callie Swart (RSA) 74 75, Jean-Paul Strydom (RSA) 74 75,Daniel Gavins (ENG) 77 72

150 - Ariel Canete (ARG) 77 73, Jack Senior (ENG) 76 74, Dwayne Basson (RSA) 72 78, PH McIntyre (RSA) 72 78

151 - Oliver Bekker (RSA) 73 78, Callum Shinkwin (ENG) 74 77, Le Roux Ferreira (RSA) 74 77

152 - Tyron McComb (RSA) 77 75

153 - Karabo Mokoena (AMA) (RSA) 77 76, Richard Finch (ENG) 78 75, Titch Moore (RSA) 73 80, James Busby (ENG) 75 78,Marco Steyn (AMA) (RSA) 75 78

154 - Allister de Kock (RSA) 77 77

155 - Petr Dedek (CZE) 75 80

156 - Jason Viljoen (RSA) 78 78, Sipho Bujela (RSA) 82 74, Neezy Thubisi (RSA) 82 74

159 - Mikhail Tewary (RSA) 79 80

160 - Omar Sandys (RSA) 82 78

WD - Paul Peterson (USA) 76 WD

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE