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Michael Hoey, Damien McGrane and Peter Lawrie all finished off the pace and ended two rounds on the wrong side of the line as Branden Grace raced into a five shot lead at the halfway stage.
The 26 year old won four times during a memorable 2012 campaign, and remained on course for another victory as he added a second round 66 to his sparkling opening 62 at Leopard Creek Country Club.
Three clear overnight, Grace turned in 33 after starting on the back nine before picking up another shot at the first.
His only dropped shot of the day came at the short fifth, but Grace birdied the sixth and finished with a lengthy putt for a closing gain on the ninth that put him five shots ahead of Italy’s Francesco Molinari.
“This is a golf course that suits me and if I keep hitting everything in play the way I have been the first two days then it should be a good weekend,” said Grace.
“The pins have been kind so far; I’m sure there’s going to be a couple of tricky and sticky pins out there on the weekend, but I’ll just stick to the game plan and see what the next two rounds offer us.
“Today was great – the ball striking wasn’t as good as yesterday.
“I kept it going - there was a little bit of a slip there due to a lack of concentration but it happens.
“I’ve been hitting it well and kept on hitting good putts out there.”
Molinari was typically precise with his irons as he followed five birdies in 12 holes with an eagle at the long 13th.
The former Ryder Cup star then missed a golden birdie chance at the 14th and dropped his first shot of the day at the 17th, but two-putted the long last to get back to seven under for the day.
“I played really well today,” said Molinari. “I holed some really good putts – the last four or five holes could have been better, but seven under is always a good round.
“Branden has set a low target for everyone, so it was good to get some birdies.”
Tjaart van der Walt, twice a runner-up on The European Tour, had five birdies before three-putting the ninth – his last – for his only bogey in a round of 67 which left him third on ten under par.
Another South African, Shaun Norris, last week’s Nedbank Challenge winner Danny Willett and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard – who chipped in at the last for eagle – were tied for fourth on nine under.
Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, looking to become only the sixth player in European Tour history to win the same event three years running, carded a two under 70 to be 11 shots adrift of leader Grace.
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