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David Higgins overcame a difficult start in Round 2 of the Hong Kong Open on Friday and fell all to a level par round, which was disappointing for the Waterville golfer after his opening 64. A couple of late birdies though helped Higgins back to two under.
Kevin Phelan however missed the cut by a stroke after a two over par second round in Fanling.
With Peter Lawrie always outside the cut mark following an opening round of 77 on Thursday
Jbe Kruger leads aftre he came home in just 30 shots to grab the halfway lead at the Hong Kong Open.
As the world mourned the loss of Nelson Mandela, it was fitting that a South African should lead and Kruger’s 66 was enough to ensure he held a one shot advantage on seven under par.
There was little sign of what was to come when the 27 year old turned in a two over par 36, but six birdies in seven holes from the 11th propelled Kruger to the top of the leaderboard, with Stuart Manley his nearest challenger.
“Our country lost a real-life hero,” former Avantha Masters winner Kruger said of Mandela’s death on Thursday night.
“I played well, I probably swung it the best I’ve swung it in a long time.
“I’m excited and I’m playing better for a change. It’s fun to play relaxed golf for a change and see what unfolds.”
Kruger’s scoring burst started with an eight foot putt at the 11th, before converting from 25 feet at the next and completing a hat-trick of gains with a simple putt at the par five 13th.
A 20 footer at the 14th kept the run going and, after a par at the 15th, an approach to five feet at the 16th and six feet at the next highlighted some wonderful iron play.
Manley was on course for a share of the lead until he hit his approach into the water at the tenth, his last, and bogeyed.
The Welshman hit the headlines recently by following a hole-in-one with an 11 on the next hole during the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf at Royal Melbourne.
Manley, who thought he had won a car for his ace before being told it was only on offer during the final round, signed for a second consecutive 67 in Fanling.
“It’s really enjoyable,” said the Qualifying School graduate. “I started a bit scrappily but after the first few holes I played lovely.
“It’s 36 holes, there’s a lot of golf to go and a lot of good players around me so I’ll have to play well this weekend.”
Germany’s Alex Cejka, India’s Shiv Kapur and Australian Wade Ormsby are tied for third on five under, with defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez just outside the top ten.
The Spaniard Jimenez can join Hsieh Yung-yo of Taiwan as a four-time winner of the event after previous wins in 2005, 2008 and 2012, the latter when he became the oldest winner in European Tour history aged 48 years and 318 days.
A first round of 70 left the veteran Spaniard six shots off the lead, but five birdies in his first six holes and another on the third had Jiménez right back in contention at Hong Kong Golf Club.
However, the 49 year old then dropped shots at the fifth, ninth and tenth - his final hole after starting at the 11th - to card a 67 and finish three under par.
"I played very well with birdies on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th and a birdie on number three, but then the magic stopped," Jimenez said.
"The greens are very fast, you have to take care. I three-putted the fifth, but I am happy, I don't feel like I putted badly but it happens.
"I thought about a low score after the first few holes, but you have to respect this golf course. It's not very long but you have to get the ball in place every single time and you have to be very careful with the greens because they are firm and fast."
