Caldwell lurking in South Africa as Walsh hangs tough in Morocco
Connor Syme of Scotland tees off on the 3rd hole during the second round of the Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club on February 23, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell fired his lowest round for nearly three years to go into the weekend just a shot off the lead in the Challenge Tour's NMB Championship in South Africa.
The 2021 Scandinavian Mixed winner (39) made eight birdies in a seven-under 65 in Port Elizabeth to sit alone in third place on 13-under-par. Scores
Caldwell birdied four of his first five holes at Humewood, picked up another shot at the 10th and then followed his lone bogey at the short 12th with birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th.
He was a shot adrift of South Africa's Keenan Davidse and Sweden's Björn Åkesson with Gary Hurley carding a 69 and Dermot McElroy a 71 to make the four-under-par cut on the mark.
Hurley looked doomed after a double-bogey at the 14th, but he eagled the 15th and birdied at the 16th and 17th to make the weekend as John Murphy missed out by one stroke after a 71.
In the DP World Tour's Magical Kenya Open, Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen shot 69 and Scotland's Connor Syme and the Netherlands' Darius van Driel a brace of 68s to lead by a shot at halfway as Conor Purcell carded a 77 to finish nine shots outside the level par cut mark.
At the PGA Tour's Mexico Open at Vidanta, England's Matt Wallace carded a six-under 65 and Finn Sami Valimaki a 67 to lead by a shot in the clubhouse from Erik van Rooyen on 11-under.
Meanwhile, Castlewarden's Lauren Walsh carded a two-under 71 to share 13th on two-under at halfway in LET's Lalla Meryem Cup at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Morocco.
She was ten shots behind Maria Fassi, who shot 69 to lead by four from France's Pauline Roussin-Bouchard on 12 under.
"I played very nicely today, gave myself a lot more chances than yesterday," said Walsh, who will have chances to improve her status before the first May's re-shuffle thanks to starts in upcoming events in Australia and South Africa.
"I holed a few putts on the front nine anTapiod made two great up-and-downs on the last two holes to hold it together. So overall, a lot of positives."
Olivia Mehaffey made the four-over-par cut on the number after a 77.