Golf: Hats Off To Finn As Birdie Blitz Gives Him Lead

Finn Taipo Pulkkanen wore a hat rather than the standard cap Friday as his second-round birdie blitz produced a 64 and a one-stroke lead halfway through the Joburg Open tournament

Johannesburg, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 08th Dec, 2017 ) :Finn Taipo Pulkkanen wore a hat rather than the standard cap Friday as his second-round birdie blitz produced a 64 and a one-stroke lead halfway through the Joburg Open tournament.

Indian Shubhankar Sharma recorded a 10-birdie 61 -- the lowest round of the day over two Randpark Golf Club courses -- to lie second in cool, overcast Johannesburg. Pulkkanen is on 129 after rounds of 65 and 64 and Sharma on 130 thanks to rounds of 69 and 61 in a tournament using two courses for the first two rounds.

Ranked 197 in the world, Pulkkanen made a superb start over the tougher, par-72 Firethorn layout by claiming six consecutive birdies. The 27-year-old parred the following four holes in an event tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and South African Sunshine Tour.

Birdies at the 11th and 12th holes took him to eight-under for the day and he parred the remaining six holes. The typical dress code for professional golfers includes a cap, but Pulkkanen cut a dashing figure in a light grey hat with a dark grey band.

Sharma played the easier Bushwillow course in the second round and rattled off five birdies over each nine for the lowest round so far this week.

The 21-year-old, who tied for 27th at the Mauritius Open last weekend, excelled at the par threes, collecting birdies on all four.

Another Finn, Mikko Korhonen, shot a 65 and South African Eric van Rooyen a 67 to share third place on 131. English duo Steven Brown (65) and Daniel Brooks (67) and Dane Joachim Hansen (67) are two shots further back.

South Africa has produced eight of the 11 Joburg Open champions, but the leaderboard is dominated by foreigners entering the weekend with Van Rooyen the lone local among the top 10. With a freak finger injury ruling out favourite and Major winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, many locals believed Mauritius Open winner Dylan Frittelli could triumph again.

However, after a disappointing first-round 70, Frittelli improved by only one shot Friday to lie 10 strokes behind Pulkkanen with two rounds remaining. After a five-birdie front nine, twice European Tour winner Frittelli bogeyed four holes, leaving him needing a low third-round score to get back into contention.

First round leader Keenan Davidse of South Africa failed to maintain the hot form that delivered a 63 Thursday and his second-round 74 included two front-nine double bogeys.