Rock charges into share of lead at Dunhill

Dec 12, 2008 - 11:09 PM By Thahir Asmal PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MPUMALANGA, South Africa (Ticker) -- Five birdies over his last six holes helped Robert Rock charge into a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Friday.

The Englishman, who shot a 6-under-par 66 in his first round, was just as impressive on the second day with a 67, moving him atop at the Leopard Creek Golf Club at 11-under. He is alongside overnight leader Len Mattiace and Oskar Henningsson - the Swede shooting a 64 for the best round of the competition thus far.

Richard Sterne, one of the most promising talents in the South African game, had set the earlier pace with his 6-under round of 66, leaving him one shot off the leaders.

A group of five players are clustered at 9-under, including 2004 winner Charl Schwartzel, while world No. 10 Lee Westwood is one of three players a further shot back at 8-under.

Rock though looked solid throughout with his biggest impact coming on the same back nine that helped him shoot a 66 on the opening day.

Playing the front nine first this time around, he managed one birdie and a bogey for an even-par 35, before a 32 on the next nine helped him to an impressive finish.

Speaking afterward, the Staffordshire golfer praised the course at Malelane as one he really favored.

"I just like the course here, I like the holes," he said. "I like the way the ball sits on the fairways as well.

"It suits the way I play my iron shots and the greens are great. I didn't really putt that well today. The back nine was similar to yesterday really. The front nine is tougher and I didn't particularly play that well."

In a much better day for the home contingent, it was Sterne - winner of four European tour titles - that made the biggest impact.

Playing the back nine first, he made pars on the opening three holes, before an eagle on the par-five 13th and four birdies moved him to 10-under for the competition.

However, a triple bogey on the tricky par-five 18th saw him drop back to 7-under.

He bounced back though, adding three more birdies on the front nine to complete a fine display.

"It was quite a special round, obviously," he said afterward. "I had a little hiccup somewhere but it was all pretty good, pretty decent. I was never really in trouble.

"I made a lot of good putts on the back nine, which was my front nine today, six in a row or something, and that got things going, and then I played well on the front nine again after 18. I went three under and no mistakes."

World No. 30, Rory Sabbatini, who was on 8-under with two to play, dropped two shots on his last hole to slip back to a 6-under round, while Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy missed the cut by a stroke despite a combined round total of 143.