Henrik Stenson leads Nedbank Golf Challenge by one shot at halfway

Henrik Stenson staged a superb back-nine recovery to claim the outright lead at the halfway stage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

Stenson birdied three of the first five holes only to then bogey three in a row from the sixth before play was suspended for over two hours as a severe lightning storm hit the Sun City region.

But the break allowed Stenson to regroup, and he returned to reel off five birdies in a sparkling seven-hole stretch to card a five-under 67 and edge one ahead of Jaco Van Zyl on 11 under par.

The highlight was a remarkable birdie at the 17th, where Stenson drove into a deep fairway bunker but managed to smash his second to 20 feet before rolling in the putt.

Stenson, who was close to withdrawing from the tournament after being laid low with a bout of flu, said: "I'm surprised given that on Wednesday afternoon I didn't think I would be able to tee it up. I thought I was done and dusted, so to be leading after two days it's a turnaround to say the least.

"I'm getting over the virus, but I was more fatigued this morning than I was yesterday just because of playing yesterday. It takes a lot out of you playing in 35 to 40 degrees when you're not physically well.

"I was not on a good run before the break. I didn't do too much wrong but managed to string three bogeys in a row, so at that time it was probably good to have a break, and it really cooled down afterwards for the back nine.

"I got the putter going - that was hot at least - and made a couple of nice birdie putts. All in all a very good back nine turned an average round into a good one."

Van Zyl, who shared the overnight lead with the Swede, made the hotter start of the two as he followed a birdie at the first with an eagle at the long second, although he then dropped his first shot of the tournament at the fourth.

The South African parred to the turn and found himself leading when Stenson endured his torrid run, and Van Zyl also appeared to benefit from the weather delay as he birdied 10 and 11 on the resumption.

But the putts dried up for Van Zyl and he closed with seven straight pars to return a 68 and hang onto outright second ahead of Robert Streb.

The American roared into a share of the lead when, after turning in 34, he eagled the 10th and carded three consecutive birdies from the 13th.

Streb's run came to an abrupt halt when he bogeyed 16 for the second day running, and he dropped another shot at 17 before converting an excellent approach to the last for birdie to cap a best-of-the-day 66.

Open Championship runner-up Marc Leishman is three off the lead after compiling a five-birdie 68, while Kiradech Aphibarnrat is in touch on six under although he would have been disappointed to shoot 68 after he birdied the opening three holes.

Ross Fisher is the leading Englishman on four under after he struggled to a 71, but Danny Willett's hopes of defending his title took a knock after three bogeys and a double-bogey six over the first seven holes, while he also required treatment from the European Tour physios after suffering a recurrence of his troublesome back problems.

Willett did managed to play the remainder of his round in two under to salvage a 75 which left him nine off the pace, but Lee Westwood - champion in 2010 and 2011 - endured a torrid second round as he returned an ugly 81 featuring six bogeys, a double-bogey at 17 and an eight at the long ninth. 

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