Pickering hangs on to Akasia lead

Slade Pickering carded a second-round three-under-par 69 to take his total to 12 under for the week and pull three shots clear of the field at Akasia Golf Club on Wednesday.

The Peacanwood Golf Estate player was thrilled to top the leaderboard for a second day in a row and will want to replicate the performances he produced in the first 36 holes of this 54-hole event. He admitted to having struggled with his driver off the tee but was solid enough to sign for 69 which consolidated his position atop the leaderboard.

“I struggled a bit with my driver today but I missed in the right spots,” said Pickering. “But, I kept to my game plan and told myself that I needed to keep the ball in play the whole round; hit the fairways, hit the greens and just try always to keep it in play. The pressure will always be there but tomorrow I will do exactly what I did in the first two rounds.”

Pickering’s round consisted of four birdies, an eagle and three drops.

He will be aware of the chasing pack, led by the resurgent Tyrone Ryan. The latter weaved together a scintillating round of 65 to get it to nine-under, placing him second on the leaderboard and within reach of Pickering.

“I played really well again today,” said Ryan after his second round. “The game has been trending in the right direction for a while now. So, I didn’t put myself under pressure and was solid from tee to green. But, I also think a little good fortune at the right times kept the momentum going.”

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s development circuit which enjoys the support of the great Ernie Els and counts stars such as Christiaan Bezuidenhout among its former Order of Merit winners.