Nedbank Golf Challenge: Jamie Donaldson leads by three in Sun City

Wales' Jamie Donaldson moved into a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, despite a penalty for hitting the ball twice at the 10th.

Donaldson completed a first round of 67 on Friday morning, play resuming at 7:30am after being abandoned for the day on Thursday afternoon after a second thunderstorm hit the course.

That left the 38-year-old one shot behind Spain's Sergio Garcia, but a second round of 66 containing seven birdies and just one bogey took Donaldson to the top of the leaderboard.

The solitary dropped shot came on the par-five 10th after a front nine of 31, Donaldson finding a fairway bunker off the tee and hitting the lip of the bunker with his second shot.

Second round leaderboard

GB & Ire unless stated

-11 J Donaldson

-8 J Moore (US)

-8 H Stenson (Swe)

-7 T Bjorn (Den)

-7 M Kaymer (Ger)

Unluckily, the ball bounced back and hit the shaft of Donaldson's club as he followed through, sending the ball back into the sand and resulting in a one-shot penalty.

However, after hitting his fourth shot down the fairway, Donaldson fired a superb approach from 150 yards to within a few feet of the pin to limit the damage, before picking up further shots on the 13th and 14th.

Bizarre

"These bizarre things happen and you just have to get on with it," said Donaldson, who won his second European Tour title in Abu Dhabi in January. "In the end it was a good six!

"I've played very nicely for the first two rounds and hit a lot of good shots so I am happy with the way I am playing. We had to play six holes of the first round and then back out after a 45-minute break for the second, so it's been a long day."

European No 1 Henrik Stenson and American Ryan Moore share second place on eight under, Moore shooting the lowest round of the day with a 65 and Stenson returning a 67, with neither player dropping a shot.

Defending champion Martin Kaymer and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn are a shot further back, with Garcia dropping back to five under after struggling to a 73.

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Lewis two clear of rivals after three rounds of Dubai Ladies Open

Stacy Lewis takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the Omega Dubai Ladies Open at The Emirates Golf Club on Saturday.

The American, who led by one going into the third day, posted three birdies and a bogey on her way to a two-under-par 70.

Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum, who trailed the Solheim Cup star by three overnight, signed for a 69 to claim sole possession of second place, three shots clear of Scotland's Vikki Laing and Diana Luna of Italy, who both matched Phatlum's score, and Spaniard Carlota Ciganda (73).

Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg, one behind Lewis at the start of the day, posted a 75 to drop back into a share of fifth spot alongside compatriot Louis Larsson (68), with veteran Laura Davies (71) a further stroke adrift.

England's Charley Hull (73) was forced to settle for a share of 11th place after a double bogey at nine, and a dropped shot at 12, cancelled out birdies at two of her opening five holes.

Meanwhile, South African Connie Chen ensured she would be leaving the Emirates with the keys to a gleaming new Mercedes E400 after sinking her six-iron tee-shot at the 160-yard 15th hole.

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Nelson Mandela Championship to start a day earlier than scheduled

Next week's Nelson Mandela Championship will go ahead, but will start a day earlier than scheduled, the European Tour have confirmed.

The Durban tournament will now start on Wednesday, December 11 to avoid the final round clashing with Mandela's state funeral on Sunday week.

Scott Jamieson won the inaugural event at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club last year, and the tournament will again benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

A statement released by the European Tour read: "The Nelson Mandela Championship will go ahead next week as planned, but will start a day earlier and finish on Saturday, December 14.

"In recognition of the national period of mourning for the passing of former President Mr Nelson Mandela, provision will be made for observing the day of the state funeral for Mr Mandela which will take place on Sunday, December 15.

"This is during the originally scheduled playing days (from Thursday, December 12 - Sunday, December 15), so the tournament will start a day early, and in that way, the four rounds can be completed by the scheduled close of the event.

"The tournament with its unique trophy will again be co-sanctioned by The European and Sunshine Tours and will be the fourth of seven co-sanctioned events between the two governing bodies on The 2014 Race to Dubai.

"As with the inaugural event last year, won by Scotland's Scott Jamieson, the tournament will honour Mr Mandela's on-going charity work through the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund."

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Tiger stumps Sherwood rivals with magical 62

THOUSAND OAKS, California - Tiger Woods' closest challengers were left scratching their heads in disbelief after the world number one took control of the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge with a 10-under-par 62.

Five-times champion Woods played near-flawless golf on Friday in the second round of the tournament he hosts, equaling the course record he set at Sherwood Country Club in 2007 to end the day two shots clear.

His stunning 10-birdie 62 was five strokes better than the next-best score in an elite field of 18, Northern Ireland's defending champion Graeme McDowell and England's Ian Poulter both having carded 67s.

"Amazing what Tiger did out there," American Matt Kuchar told reporters after shooting a second successive 68 to sit three strokes off the pace in third spot at eight under.

"It's just some incredible golf. The rest of us, my four-under score is kind of a good barometer. That's some good quality playing. Ten under is an amazing round of golf but I'd certainly take two more rounds of four-under par."

Kuchar expressed sympathy for twice World Challenge champion McDowell, who was paired with Woods for the second round but lost ground despite firing a five-birdie 67.

"I kind of felt sorry for Graeme," said Kuchar, a double winner on the 2013 PGA Tour. "I saw he posted a five-under-par round, and it must have felt like it was two or three over.

"It's tough when you're paired with a guy like that. It makes you feel like you're not doing much. But the rest of us just go about our business."

McDowell, who clinched the World Challenge for the first time with a playoff victory over Woods in 2010, was full of admiration after having a ringside seat on Friday for the American's 62.

"It was a clinic," the Northern Irishman said. "It was cool to see that kind of golf. He was under control. He hit it down the middle of every fairway."

First-round leader Zach Johnson birdied his final hole for a bogey-free 68 to secure outright second place and was largely satisfied with his round.

"I had opportunities," said Johnson, who had opened with a 67. "I had some putts on the back nine, opportunities where I could have got up and down for birdie and a couple of those par-fives that I didn't.

"Other than that, it was a pretty solid day. No complaints. I mean, you finish with a birdie on 18, especially after yesterday when I bogeyed it, so I'll take it."

The average score on Friday was 70.78, almost nine strokes worse than the 62 posted by Woods, who is seeking a record sixth victory at the event and his sixth tournament win this year.

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Northwestern Mutual World Challenge second round scores

Second round scores from the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge at the par-72 Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks

 California on Friday (U.S. unless stated):

133	Tiger Woods	71 62
135	Zach Johnson	67 68
136	Matt Kuchar	68 68
139	Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland)	72 67
140	Bubba Watson	70 70
141	Bill Haas	73 68
	Jim Furyk	72 69
143	Keegan Bradley	75 68
	Ian Poulter (England)	76 67
144	Jason Day (Australia)	76 68
	Webb Simpson	73 71
145	Jason Dufner	74 71
149	Jordan Spieth	77 72
	Steve Stricker	75 74
	Lee Westwood (England)	74 75
150	Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)	73 77
	Hunter Mahan	70 80
153	Dustin Johnson	74 79

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