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Victor Dubuisson opens two-shot lead at Nedbank Golf Challenge

By Ali Stafford

Saturday 11 November 2017 16:45, UK

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Defending champion Alex Noren produces a grandstand finish to his second round at the Nedbank Challenge as he comes within inches of a specatucular eagle-two.

Victor Dubuisson fired a two-under 70 to open up a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of a weather-affected Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

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Dubuisson, 73rd in the Race to Dubai standings, mixed four birdies with two bogeys in tricky conditions at Gary Player CC, where play was halted for two and a half hours due to thunderstorms.

Lee Westwood and Darren Fichardt sit in a share of second on four under, with defending champion Alex Noren part of the group three off the pace.

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 10: Lee Westwood of England acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challen
Image: Westwood heads in to the weekend two strokes back

Overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger slipped down the leaderboard with a bogey-filled 77, while Tommy Fleetwood - who can secure Race to Dubai victory with a win this week - lies tied-37th after a two-over 74.

Scott Jamieson birdied the first to briefly move tied for the lead but bogeyed his next two holes, as Dubuisson capitalised on Wiesberger double-bogeying the fourth by holing a 15-footer to grab the advantage.

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 10: Victor Dubuisson of France reacts to a tee shot on the 5th hole during the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challeng
Image: Dubuisson is chasing a first victory since the 2015 Turkish Airlines Open

Wiesberger slipped further down the leaderboard with back-to-back bogeys from the fifth, allowing Dubuisson to double his lead with a long-range birdie at the sixth.

The Frenchman moved three clear after birdieing the 10th but missed from 10 feet to save par at the next, with Jamieson closing the gap to one after beginning his back nine with successive gains.

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SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 10: Scott Jamieson of Scotland tees off on the 1st hole during the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Pl
Image: Jamieson began the week 75th on the Race to Dubai

Westwood birdied the 14th and 16th to also get within one but bogeyed the next, while Jamieson dropped a shot at the par-five 14th to restore Dubuisson's two-shot cushion.

Dubuisson rolled in from five feet at the 15th to go three ahead just before play was halted at 3.22pm local time (5.22pm GMT), but bogeyed the last after missing the green with his approach.

Tyrrell Hatton and Ross Fisher, both still with a mathematical chance of Race to Dubai victory, are joined on three under by Jamieson and Noren, who closed his level-par 72 with a tap-in birdie.

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 10: Alex Noren of Sweden hits a tee shot on the 5th hole during the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary P
Image: Noren is one of four players in a share of fourth

One-time joint-leader Shane Lowry was five under for his first 10 holes but triple-bogeyed the 14th on his way to slipping back to one under, while Fleetwood heads in to the weekend 10 shots adrift.

Watch the Nedbank Golf Challenge throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 8am.

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