Browne stays in contention

Stephen Browne was forced to overcome some early-round scares before consolidating his position in the top-10 of the South African Players' Championship at Royal Cape Golf Club yesterday.

Making his professional debut, the 27-year-old Dubliner - who earlier this year won the European amateur strokeplay championship - fired a second round 70 for a midway total of seven-under-par 137, four shots off the pace set by Scotland's Alan McLean.

With US Open champion Retief Goosen shooting a second round 66 to be just two shots off the overnight leader, and world number four Ernie Els also making ground with a 68 to move to six-under, it was critical that Browne responded to a run of three dropped shots in two holes on his front nine yesterday where he bogeyed the 16th, his seventh, and then double-bogeyed the 17th.

To his credit, Browne's response to those set-backs was to birdie the 18th and then reel off three further birdies on his way home - with no dropped shots - to sign for a 70, which moved him to seven-under-par for the tournament and still very much within touching distance of the leader.

However, it was McLean, a professional at the nearby Milnerton Golf Club, who made all the pace yesterday.

The 31-year-old said: "Things went my way. I made a lot of putts and remained patient. I didn't hit that many fairways and just managed to get the ball in the hole.

"I've had a tough year to be honest. I took some time off at the beginning and tried to make a swing change, but when I went back out to the European Challenge Tour my mind was going crazy and my confidence took a knock.

"I think I hit rock bottom around July, but things have gradually got better since then.

"When you hit rock bottom the only way is up and I've never practised as hard as I did this year.

Leading second round scores (South African unless stated). 132 - A McLean (Sco) 68 64; 133 - D Terblanche 67 66; 134 - B Vaughan 68 66, J Hugo, 68 66, M Maritz 67 67; 135 - R Goosen 69 66; 136 - O Sandys 66 70; 137 - S Browne (Ire) 67 70, D McGuigan 70 67, T Moore 67 70, C Swart 68 69; 138 - D Lambert 68 70, W Abery 70 68, T Immelman 69 69.