Simpson retains lead as lightning suspends play in Fitch & Leedes Championship

Samuel Simpson retained his lead in the Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship at St Francis Links, but with lightning having forced a suspension of Friday’s second round.

Simpson climbed to 10 under par overall through 12 holes of his second round when play was suspended shortly after 15:00 because of lightning. The round will resume at 07:00 on Saturday.

He is currently one stroke clear of Deon Germishuys, who had also completed 12 holes when play was suspended.

Joe Long made it into the clubhouse on eight under par with a second round of 69.

Simpson’s game plan for the day was to keep the ball in play and focus on making pars. He started his second round exactly in that way, with seven consecutive pars. He had a bogey on the eighth hole, but then birdied three of his next four holes.

“Fairways and greens are the top priority around here. It takes a lot of the stress away, so my game plan is to just make pars. I’m trying to put the ball in the best places possible and manage my misses as best I can. If I can keep hitting the greens in regulation, hopefully I will be OK,” he said.

Germishuys is challenging once again on the Sunshine Tour. He’s finished in the top-10 in his last three tournaments. His second round started with five birdies in his opening seven holes to give him another shot at a victory.

Luke Jerling has just made three straight birdies to climb to eight under par when play was suspended.

Jacques Blaauw is in the clubhouse on seven under following a solid 65, while Zander Lombard’s comeback continues to gain momentum as he sits on seven under through nine holes.

The Fitch & Leedes PGA Championship is proudly supported by Stinger GC, Momentum, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Kouga Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Cape St Francis, Telkom and the PGA of South Africa.

SCORES (incomplete round)

-10 - Samuel Simpson 64 (-2) [12]

-9 - Deon Germishuys 70 (-7) [12]

-8 - Joe Long 67 69, Luke Jerling 69 (-5) [12]

-7 - Jacques Blaauw 72 65, Zander Lombard 71 (-6) [9]

-6 - Jason Roets 71 67, Keenan Davidse 71 67, Rupert Kaminski 68 70, Hayden Griffiths 67 (-1) [9]

-5 - Barend Botha 74 65, Hennie O'Kennedy 73 66, Hennie du Plessis 66 (+1) [9]

-4 - Jean-Paul Strydom 72 68, JJ Senekal 71 69, Graham van der Merwe 71 69, Jean Hugo 71 69, Stuart Krog 72 68, Bryce Easton 67 (+1) [12], Pieter Moolman 70 (-2) [12], George Coetzee 69 (-1) [12], Wilco Nienaber 72 (-4) [12], Quintin Wilsnach 68 (Par) [9]

-3 - Toto Thimba Jnr 71 70, Benjamin Van Wyk 74 67, Ruan Conradie 71 70, Jaco Prinsloo 71 70, Casey Jarvis 75 66, Jordan Burnand 72 69, Tomas Gana 72 (-3) [12], Brandon Stone 74 (-5) [12], Dean Burmester 72 (-3) [12], CJ du Plessis 71 (-2) [9]

-2 - Nikhil Rama 71 71, Herman Loubser 75 67, Heinrich Bruiners 72 70, Christiaan Burke 74 68, Martin Vorster 73 69, MJ Viljoen 73 69, Rhys West 72 70, Peter Karmis 74 68, Matthew Spacey 71 (-1) [15], Robson Chinhoi 70 (Par) [12], Ronald Rugumayo 70 (Par) [12], Rowan Lester 70 (Par) [6]

-1 - Jaco Ahlers 74 69, Keagan Thomas 76 67, Rhys Enoch 73 70, Stephen Ferreira 73 70, Stals Swart 71 72, Dylan Mostert 72 71, Thomas Spreadborough 73 (-2) [12], Tyran Snyders 72 (-1) [9], Malcolm Mitchell 70 (+1) [9], Wynand Dingle 73 (-2) [9], David Amm 69 (+2) [9], Franklin Manchest 70 (+1) [6], Allen John 73 (-2) [6]

MISSED THE CUT:-

Par - Karabo Mokoena 72 72, Otto Van Buynder 73 71, Louis Albertse 74 70, Ruan Groenewald 67 77, Pierre Viallaneix 72 (Par) [9], Luis Carrera 74 (-2) [9], Keanu Pestana 75 (-3) [6]

+1 - Ruan Korb 73 72, Kyle Barker 77 68, Ryan van der Klis 72 73, George Van Vuuren 72 (+1) [15], Albert Venter 72 (+1) [12], Liam Grehan 74 (-1) [9]

+2 - Jake Redman 71 75, Altin van der Merwe 75 71, Jack Hawksby 76 70, Anthony Michael 75 71, Kyle De Beer 74 72, James Mack 72 74, Hennie Otto 75 71, Mikkel Antonsen 73 (+1) [12], Tristen Strydom 74 (Par) [9], Lyle Rowe 76 (-2) [9], Zachary Chegwidden 73 (+1) [9], Eric Wowor 74 (Par) [9]

+3 - Neil Schietekat 74 73, Conner Mackenzie 75 72, Rourke van der Spuy 77 70, Celestin Nsanzuwera 73 74, Tyron Davidowitz 80 (-5) [15], Jacques Kok 72 (+3) [6], Nyasha Muyambo 73 (+2) [6], Jastice Mashego 75 (Par) [6]

+4 - Marcel Steyn Scholtz 76 72, Kyle McClatchie 74 74, Hunter Epson 78 70, Brandon Meads 75 (+1) [12], Warwick Purchase 73 (+3) [9], Thabiso Ngcobo 69 (+7) [9], Cornel Muller 76 (Par) [6]

+5 - Gregg Upton 77 72, Christian Kriek 77 72, Calvin Caldeira 70 79, James Pennington 73 76, Andre Van Zyl 76 (+1) [12], Xander Basson 76 (+1) [9], Luca Filippi 76 (+1) [9], Louis de Jager 75 (+2) [9], Gerhard Pepler 77 (Par) [9], Gregory Mckay 79 (-2) [9]

+6 - Nick Cunningham 77 73, Slade Pickering 79 (-1) [15], Simon du Plooy 78 (Par) [15]

+7 - Jake Roos 80 (-1) [9], Danie Van Niekerk 77 (+2) [9], Dean Nysschen 78 (+1) [6]

+8 - Tyrone Ryan 76 76, Musiwalo Nethunzwi 76 (+4) [9], Tumelo Molloyi 79 (+1) [6]

+9 - Leon Vorster 81 (Par) [15], Ethan Smith 74 (+7) [15], Werner Deyzel 76 (+5) [12], Andrew van der Knaap 81 (Par) [12], Tafadzwa Nyamukondiwa 76 (+5) [12], Jacques P de Villiers 78 (+3) [9]

+10 - Ryan Welsh 81 (+1) [6]

+11 - Christiaan Basson 81 74, Keegan Mclachlan 81 74

+12 - Kayle Wykes 83 73, Ruan de Smidt 79 77, Marcus Sandile Taylor 79 77, Makhetha Mazibuko 80 (+4) [9]

+13 - Ricky Hendler 84 73

+14 - Allister de Kock 78 80

+16 - Merrick Bremner 81 (+7) [9], SP Mthethwa 87 (+1) [6]

+17 - Estiaan Conradie 79 82

+20 - Edwin Compton 85 (+7) [15]

+21 - Daniel Gouws 79 86

+23 - Joe Nawanga 83 84

+24 - Andre Loots 87 (+9) [12]

+26 - James Kamte 87 83, Ruan Kotzé 84 (+14) [15]

RTD - Joe Knox 77 RTD