Furyk takes four-shot lead

GOLF:Jim Furyk roared to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway point of the Nedbank Challenge after firing a six-under-par 66 at a storm-hit Sun City.

But Padraig Harrington dropped to a share of fifth place after a one-under-par 71.

The American took full advantage of an early slip from first-round leader Henrik Stenson, and a second straight bogey-free round moved him to 10-under 134 overall, four shots clear of the second-placed Swede with Harrington six back on 140.

Even a thunderstorm, which saw play suspended for two-and-a-half hours with five holes remaining for the leading pair, failed to break Furyk's rhythm.

Stenson, who led his playing partner by one overnight after opening with a flawless 67, could only manage a 71 after virtually cancelling out three birdies with two bogeys. That left him on six under, one ahead of locals Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel.

After a level-par first round, Els flew up the leaderboard with a 67, largely thanks to a front-nine 32.

Schwartzel followed up Thursday's 70 with a 69, despite once again carding birdies and bogeys in almost equal measure.

European Order of Merit winner Harrington held a share of third until a final-hole bogey saw him drop to a tie for fifth.

Colin Montgomerie struggled to a 77, including a quintuple bogey nine, and only a birdie at the last spared him a 78 but he is still eight over par.

A determined Furyk did not take long to make his move yesterday, helped by some wayward early drives from Stenson.

He turned the one-shot deficit into a one-shot lead after the Swede bogeyed the second and he birdied the third.

Further birdies followed at the seventh and ninth, after Stenson had birdied the sixth to get back to level par for the round.

Furyk tightened his grip by picking up shots at 11 and 13, before the storm came.

A brilliant bunker escape on the resumption of play then handed him his final birdie at 14, where Stenson also picked up one of his two back-nine birdies.

Leaderboard

134 (-10)

J Furyk (US) 68 66

138 (-6)

H Stenson (Swe) 67 71

139 (-5)

C Schwartzel (SA) 70 69

E Els (SA) 72 67

140 (-4)

R Goosen (SA) 70 70

T Immelman (SA) 71 69

P Harrington (Ire)69 71

142: D Howell (Eng) 69 73

144: J-M Olazabal (Spa) 71 73

148: S Garcia (Spa) 72 76

149: C DiMarco (US) 74 75

152: C Montgomerie (Sco) 75 77