Higgins big game hunting in Africa

David Higgins is focussed. Pictured here at last week’s Joburg Open. Catherine Kotze /www.golffile.ieWhen David Higgins won back his card at the Q-School last year he was convinced that he had the game to win on tour.

“It’s where I feel I belong,” he said. “Put me on the right course in the right conditions and I feel I can win tournaments. I’m not just saying that.

“I won on the Challenge Tour but that was a long time ago. I am a better player now. Stronger mentally. Put me on the right course and I can do really well.”

Fast forward less than three months and the 4-year old from Waterville is tied for eighth at the halfway stage of the Africa Open at a blustery East London Golf Club.

Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva made light work of a 28-hole day to storm into a three shot lead over home favourite Jaco Van Zyl on 14 under.

But while Higgins is eight shots behind the leader, he’s playing well enough to earn that maiden European Tour victory on a course that’s right up his street.

After completing his first round early on Friday, posting a two under 70, Higgins headed straight back out and fired five birdies in a five under 68 to finish the day inside the top 10.

He’s paired with former tour winner Grégory Bourdy for Saturday’s third round and will have high hopes of pressing ahead on a short, 6,632 yard course that suits him game.

Catching Da Silva will depend on how the 41-year old ten-time Sunshine Tour winner reacts to the pressure of leading a European Tour event.

The pacesetter began the day one shot behind overnight leader Van Zyl after only completing eight holes on a weather-affected first day, but quickly found the rhythm he had exhibited on Thursday in carding five birdies over the first six holes.

An impeccable display of short game skill saw the 41 year old sign for a career-best first round thanks to an eagle at the long 15th after chipping in from off the green, with back-to-back birdies over the closing two holes helping the Natal resident to a stunning ten under par 62 – just one off Richard Sterne’s course record.

He refused to let up in his second 18, too, as some excellent putting led to five birdies with his first and only bogey of the tournament thus far at the par four 11th not disrupting an otherwise wholly impressive four under par 68.

Leading the way at 14 under par heading into the weekend, Da Silva attributed much of his success in and around East London’s greens to caddie Frankie Chirute and said a good draw could also have contributed to his fine first 36 holes.

“I got a good break yesterday,” he said. “It was extremely hard out there for the morning field, and then I got the break and I just started making some putts.

Adilson Da Silva © Getty Images“I somehow just felt the pace, and my caddie Frankie and I are reading the greens very well.

“My putting has been letting me down lately, and it just came alive. I must have had 23, 24 putts, which must make it my best round in putting. I was averaging 32 putts a round in Asia last year.

“A win on Sunday would be a huge breakthrough for me; it would effectively give me a two year exemption in Europe and I would gain a lot of world ranking points.”

Gareth Maybin missed the level par cut by a shot when he finished with three successive birdies for a one under 71 having played the first 15 holes in four under.

Damien McGrane, who is 99th in the money list so far, failed to survive by three strokes on three over following a 72 that featured three birdies and three bogeys around the turn.

Van Zyl, who opened yesterday with a six under par 66, was amongst the later starters on South Africa’s Eastern Cape and impressed once again as a quartet of birdies from the 12th helped the Johannesburg man to a five under par 67 on Friday to stay within touching distance of the Brazilian.

One further back with 36 holes to play was 2012 Qualifying School Number One John Parry, who shot a joint best-of-the-day 66 on Friday.

Africa Open after 36 holes at East London GC:

130 A Da Silva (Bra) 62 68,

133 J Van Zyl (RSA) 66 67,

134 J Parry (Eng) 68 66,

136 O Bekker (RSA) 69 67, D Fichardt (RSA) 69 67,

137 G Bourdy (Fra) 70 67, R Santos (Por) 71 66,

138 T Van Der Walt (RSA) 70 68, D Higgins (Irl) 70 68, M Tullo (Chi) 69 69,

139 G Mulroy (RSA) 72 67, U Van Den Berg (RSA) 71 68, A Kaleka (Fra) 72 67, D Ferreira (RSA) 69 70, A Levy (Fra) 73 66,

140 T Mordt (RSA) 71 69, B Åkesson (Swe) 70 70, M Delpodio (Ita) 72 68, J Kingston (RSA) 69 71, M Madsen (Den) 71 69, A Sullivan (Eng) 70 70, C Basson (RSA) 72 68,

141 J Luiten (Ned) 74 67, A Marshall (Eng) 75 66, I Garrido (Esp) 69 72, E Grillo (Arg) 70 71, L Rowe (RSA) 74 67, T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 72, P Erofejeff (Fin) 73 68, D Drysdale (Sco) 74 67, C Doak (Sco) 74 67, B Rumford (Aus) 71 70, L Jensen (Den) 72 69, T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 72 69, D Botes (RSA) 74 67,

142 S Benson (Eng) 71 71, R Strauss (RSA) 71 71, R McGowan (Eng) 73 69, A Curlewis (RSA) 69 73, L Gagli (Ita) 73 69, W Coetsee (RSA) 69 73, L Slattery (Eng) 74 68,

143 C Paisley (Eng) 73 70, J Campillo (Esp) 73 70, M Korhonen (Fin) 70 73, C Coetzee (RSA) 73 70, M Carlsson (Swe) 73 70, J Walters (RSA) 72 71, J Moore (USA) 76 67, N Fasth (Swe) 72 71, L De Jager (RSA) 72 71, A Snobeck (Fra) 72 71, M Jonzon (Swe) 69 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 72, M Bremner (RSA) 72 71, P Price (Wal) 69 74, S Wakefield (Eng) 70 73,

144 J Ahlers (RSA) 71 73, M Baldwin (Eng) 74 70, C Cévaër (Fra) 74 70, W Abery (RSA) 73 71, J Morrison (Eng) 72 72, A Tadini (Ita) 71 73, M Williams (RSA) 73 71, R Derksen (Ned) 72 72, D Van Tonder (RSA) 73 71, T Moore (RSA) 74 70, A Hartø (Den) 72 72, V Groenewald (RSA) 71 73, E Pepperell (Eng) 77 67, J Roos (RSA) 72 72, B Pieters (RSA) 76 68, J Kruger (RSA) 73 71, K Horne (RSA) 76 68, M Nixon (Eng) 77 67, D Greene (RSA) 70 74, D McGuigan (RSA) 78 66, T Aiken (RSA) 74 70,

CUT

145 E De La Riva (Esp) 76 69, G Maybin (Nir) 74 71, A Georgiou (RSA) 71 74, M Lundberg (Swe) 73 72, S Arnold (Aus) 71 74, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 74 71, A Michael (RSA) 72 73, R Rock (Eng) 75 70, B Easton (RSA) 73 72,

146 J Harding (RSA) 75 71, J Blaauw (RSA) 73 73, J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 74, T Lewis (Eng) 75 71, M Bothma (RSA) 75 71, T Spangenberg (RSA) 75 71, P McIntyre (RSA) 76 70, C Nel (RSA) 73 73, R Thompson (RSA) 79 67, T Sefatsa (RSA) 74 72, C Lee (Sco) 76 70,

147 C Macaulay (Sco) 75 72, R Wattel (Fra) 74 73, E Kofstad (Nor) 72 75, D McGrane (Irl) 75 72, B Vaughan (RSA) 73 74, P Hedblom (Swe) 74 73, T Thimba Jnr (RSA) 75 72, J Kamte (RSA) 74 73, P Whiteford (Sco) 74 73,

148 S Little (Eng) 75 73, D Gaunt (Aus) 74 74, A Zemmer (Ita) 74 74, D Brooks (Eng) 76 72, J Harvey (RSA) 78 70, E Goya (Arg) 74 74, M Hollick (RSA) 74 74, R Cairns (Zim) 76 72, M Du Toit (RSA) 75 73,

149 G Havret (Fra) 73 76, O Strydom (RSA) 72 77, O Floren (Swe) 74 75, N Schietekat (RSA) 74 75, R Coles (Eng) 74 75, G Muller (RSA) 74 75, M Carvell (RSA) 76 73, S Bujela (RSA) 77 72, D Van Der Walt (RSA) 74 75,

150 D Burmester (RSA) 76 74, A Versfeld (RSA) 75 75, S Norris (RSA) 76 74, J Busby (Eng) 74 76, J Lagergren (Swe) 79 71, L Ndwandwe (RSA) 77 73, H Buhrmann (RSA) 72 78, J Hansen (Den) 76 74, K Davidse (RSA) 77 73,

151 S Henry (Sco) 79 72, P Moolman (RSA) 81 70, T Ferreira (RSA) 74 77, O Sandys (RSA) 75 76,

152 D Van Den Heever (RSA) 78 74, J Hugo (RSA) 81 71, J Claassen (RSA) 77 75,

153 L Calitz (RSA) 76 77, M Lampert (Ger) 78 75, R McEvoy (Eng) 82 71,

154 H Bruiners (RSA) 77 77, J Cunliffe (RSA) 74 80,

155 C Swanepoel (RSA) 77 78, R De Smidt (RSA) 76 79, C Lloyd (Eng) 83 72,

157 G Storm (Eng) 80 77, A Kelapile (RSA) 77 80,

158 A Haindl (RSA) 85 73, M Southgate (Eng) 80 78,

159 N Dougherty (Eng) 80 79,

** C Del Moral (Esp) 75 RT, S Chowrasia (Ind) 78 WD,