The Sunshine Tour rookie, Nikhil Rama, continued to impress on day two of the co-sanctioned Joburg Open being played at the Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg.

The 22-year-old South African took a one-stroke lead on Friday with a bogey-free round of eight-under-62 for what is his lowest competitive score to date. This took him to 13-under-par for the tournament as he comfortably made the cut.

His second round score equalled the course record set a day earlier by the 2021 champion, Thriston Lawrence.

Lawrence in his turn shot a second round of four-under-par 66 to move down to second, but he is just one-stroke off the lead and remains a strong contender to win a second title.

The Bloemfonteiner, Dean Burmester, in his turn made a big move and also equalled the course record with eight-under-par 62 to move up into third, where he joined Jacques Kruyswijk on ten-under-par and three-strokes off the lead.

Nikhil, who hails from Johannesburg admitted that he was never much of a golfer at junior level, but he has worked hard with one of the countries leading coaches, Hendrik Buhrmann, and since then his game has improved.

“I wasn’t much of a junior golfer, then I started working with Hendrik Buhrmann and my golf really started to improve in 2019. I turned pro and let's see what happens.”

Zander Lombard, Jaco Prinsloo, Darren Fichardt, Thomas Aiken and JC Ritchie of South Africa are all still comfortably in the top ten, but one will suspect that they would all target a strong third round to give themselves a chance for the title on Sunday.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport