Inglis tops leaderboard on moving day at Waterkloof

England’s Jeff Inglis powered his way to the summit of the leaderboard in the second round of the 54-hole Big Easy-MENA Tour The Roar when he shot seven-under-par 65 to total 10-under for the week at Waterkloof Golf Club on Wednesday.

“Today was good,” Inglis said, “and a couple of putts fell, for once. A couple of three-putts coming in but you know, 65, any round under par is good, you know. I got off to a nice start and I just rolled along all day.”

He came into the round four strokes behind the leading trio of Daniel Hammond, Stefan Engell Andersen and JJ Senekal on three-under-par. He opened the second round in Pretoria with a par on the first before he made four consecutive birdies, a par on six and another birdie on seven.

“For the last six weeks I’ve been hitting quality shots,” he said about that stretch of birdies from two to five, “but, I haven’t been converting so I worked with a guy from Titleist two weeks ago, trying to get the putter.” That putter was on song at Waterkloof.

Sharing second are overnight leaders Senekal and Hammond, along with Danie van Niekerk all on nine-under for the tournament. Senekal and Hammond both shot 70s on Wednesday to consolidate on the seven-under 65s they signed for in round one. Senekal says it was important to stay calm in certain moments.

“You’ve just got to stay calm out here,” Senekal said, ” There are going to be mistakes every now and then and you have to stay positive and bounce back from them. The guys out here, even on the Big Easy and MENA Tour, are great golfers, so to be at the top of the leaderboard right now is awesome.”

Behind that trio on moving day is Cyril Suk of the Czech Republic together with Aubrey Beckley, Matias Calderon and Breyten Meyer who share the fifth spot on a total eight-under par. Also making most of moving day was Michael Palmer who shot a bogey-free seven-under-65 to tie at ninth spot with Pieter Kruger and Simon Kruger on seven-under.

The final round of this event, a third and final in a series of three co-sanctioned by the Big Easy Tour and MENA Tour, promises to be a thriller with the chasing pack only a shot or two behind.