Cumbrian star Gary Lockerbie is lying equal 32nd at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Golf Club in South Africa.

The Penrith golfer shot a second round 71, following his opening round of 68 to comfortably make the cut on 139. He is six shots behind the three golfers at the head of the leaderboard.

A number of top names didn’t make the cut, missing the week-end action as it was set at 142 leaving 70 players to contest the final two rounds.

This is Lockerbie’s return to the big time, his first tournament on the main European Circuit after winning back his ticket earlier this year.

The Sports Network website reports that Len Mattiace carded a four-under 68 Friday to remain tied for the lead.

Mattiace, who shared the first-round lead with Michael Jonzon, completed two rounds at 11-under-par 133. He was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Robert Rock (67) and Oskar Henningsson (64).

Richard Sterne is alone in fourth place at minus-10 after posting a 66 in the second round.

Mattiace, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, was steady throughout his round. He birdied the par-five second for the second day in a row. Other than that, he parred nine of the first 10 holes at Leopard Creek Country Club.

On the back nine, the American birdied 11 and 13 to move within one of Rock and Henningsson. Mattiace birdied the 15th for the second day in a row to match the other two at 11-under. He closed with three straight pars.

Rock, like he did on Thursday, did all of his damage over the last six holes. He birdied the second, but gave that shot back with a bogey on No. 5, then parred seven in a row from the sixth.

The Englishman birdied three in a row from the 13th to jump to minus-nine. After a par on the 16th, Rock birdied 17 and 18 to share the second-round lead.

"I didn't really putt that well," Rock admitted. "The back nine was similar to Thursday really. The front nine is tougher and I didn't particularly play that well. But the driving has been the key so far really and that's left me in a good position on every hole."

Henningsson played the back nine first and posted birdies on 11 and 15. He reeled off four straight birdies from the 17th to move to nine-under. Henningsson birdied the fifth and sixth to grab a share of the lead, then parred his final three holes.

Charl Schwartzel, Marc Cayeux and Tyrone Mordt all fired five-under 67s Friday and are tied for fifth at nine-under-par 135. They were joined there by John E. Morgan (68) and Johan Edfors (69). David Lynn, Lee Westwood, Warren Abery and Jaco Van Zyl are one shot back at minus-eight.

Jonzon posted an even-par 72 and shares 13th place at seven-under-par 137 with 10 other players.

---

Bookmark with: what are these?