JOHANNESBURG, November 25, 2011 (AFP) - Scotsman Steven O'Hara held a one-stroke lead in the South African Open on Friday with a bogey free four-under-par second round of 68.
O'Hara, joint overnight leader in the one-million-euro championship, is on 11-under par with South Africa's double former champion Retief Goosen sharing second place with Merrick Bremner at the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate.
"I have played really well, my whole game feels in good shape. I need a good finish to keep my card on the European Tour, a top three or four finish so I've put myself in a good position to do that," said O'Hara.
"I'm just going to go out and keep doing what I've been doing. Keep trusting my swing and if I've got a position to win on Sunday, then brilliant."
The Scot shot one birdie in the first nine and then in the 11th, 16th and 17th holes.
"The wind was getting really blustery and it was difficult to get the right club," he added.
"If you're not in the right spot you've got a really tough putt on the greens. My iron play was really good on the back nine, I was quite pleased."
Goosen ended the day with a 68 with five birdies placing him within striking distnace of top spot on the leaderboard.
"Any time I'm one shot off the lead going into the weekend it's great," said last year's runner-up.
Bremner shot birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18th to share second spot also with 68.
Jbe Kruger who shared the lead on Thursday, closed day two in shared fourth position with a 71, and defending champion Ernie Els carded a second 69.
Last year's edition went down to the wire between Els and Goosen, with Els holding off a four-birdie Goosen come-back on the last five to win by a single stroke at the Durban Country Club.
It was the Johannesburg native's fifth victory in the tournament.
Morning leader Lyle Rowe who carded 66 ended the day in joint third with Garth Mulroy.
The contest, the second-oldest national championship after the British Open, turns 101 this year.
Notably absent from the tournament are locals and Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, who are at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.
The par-72 course on the outskirts of Johannesburg, called the Masai Mara, opened in 2009 with its signature hole number eight a par-five with an island green.
Leading scores Friday after the second round of the South African Open at the par-72, Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate on the outskirts of Johannesburg (RSA unless noted):
133 - Steven O'Hara (SCO) 65-68
134 - Retief Goosen 66-68, Merrick Bremner 66-68
135 - Lyle Rowe 69-66, Garth Mulroy 67-68
136 - Jean Hugo 67-69, Jbe' Kruger 65-71
137 - Thomas Aiken 68-69, Keith Horne 68-69, Lloyd Saltman (SCO) 69-68, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 69-68, Branden Grace 69-68, Hennie Otto 70-67
138 - Tyrone Mordt 66-72, Ernie Els 69-69, Jeppe Huldahl (DEN) 68-70, Graeme Storm (ENG) 70-68, Jaco Van Zyl 69-69, Simon Wakefield (ENG) 71-67, Phillip Price (WAL) 68-70, Thomas Norret (DEN) 69-69, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA) 68-70
139 - Tim Sluiter (NED) 70-69, Magnus A Carlsson (SWE) 73-66, Joel Sjoholm (SWE) 71-68
140 - Carlos Del Moral (ESP) 70-70, Oliver Wilson (ENG) 69-71, David Drysdale (SCO) 68-72, Darren Fichardt 71-69, Markus Brier (AUT) 68-72, Chris Swanepoel 72-68, Andre Cruse 71-69, Shaun Norris 67-73, Richard McEvoy (ENG) 70-70, Wade Ormsby (AUS) 70-70, Trevor Fisher Jnr 68-72, Thabang Simon 69-71