Play suspended at BMW South African Open..

European Tour BMW South African Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016000/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#LEl6Cqv7KBwLfzFM.97

Remember it is the middle of summer in Johannesburg, and what a summer it is with a blazing hot sun, clear blue skies mixed in with late day thunder storms and lightning.

Sadly that is what has happened late in round one and again today in round two but not beforeBranden Grace surged to the top of the leaderboard. Three of Grace's six European Tour wins have come in his homeland along with three other Sunshine Tour titles, but he has yet to win his home Open.

He opened with a 69 on Thursday and followed that with six birdies in his first 11 holes today to share the lead with countryman Keith Horne at -8 before the players were brought off.

Earlier this morning I reported, when the morning wave of round 2 were finished South Africans continued to lead the way at their national championship with Keith Horne leading 10 of his countrymen at the top of the leaderboard, not surprising when you consider 12 of them have won in the 19 years it has been part of the European Tour

 

Horne is 44 now and he shot 69 to stand at -8 and was tied for the lead at that time with first round leader Jaco Van Zyl but Jaco has struggled this morning as his mid-range putting let him down. He bogeyed the fourth, and seventh. He missed another putt from around eight feet on the ninth for his par and another of similar length on the tenth, but that was for bogey after he had gone in the water as he fell to -3 through 11 holes.

Jbe Kruger is at -7 after a 70 in the gusting wind with Justin Walters, Brandon Stone and Englishman Ross McGowan all having completed their rounds at -6 while defending champion Andy Sullivan opened with 75 on Thursday then 72 this morning to miss the cut which is projected at +3, in his first European Tour title defence.

Bryan Angus