Grace does no favours for chasing pack

Branden Grace raced into a five shot lead at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship as the South African chases a fifth European Tour title.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Three clear overnight, Grace turned in 33 after starting on the back nine before picking up another shot at the first.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />“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.<br /><br />“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.<br /><br />“Today was great – the ball striking wasn’t as good as yesterday.<br /><br />“I kept it going - there was a little bit of a slip there due to a lack of concentration but it happens.<br /><br />“I’ve been hitting it well and kept on hitting good putts out there.”<br /><br />Molinari was typically precise with his irons as he followed five birdies in 12 holes with an eagle at the long 13th.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />“Branden has set a low target for everyone, so it was good to get some birdies.”<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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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