The Tour’s current of Merit leader made a significant move on Friday, carding a superb nine-under-par 63 to take control of the leaderboard at Country Club Johannesburg.

Simpson got off to a blistering start, opening his round with two consecutive birdies before making an eagle on his third hole. He maintained that momentum throughout the day to reach 16 under par, opening up a two-shot advantage heading into the weekend.

Kieron van Wyk - Sunshine Tour

Kieron van Wyk (66) and Louis Albertse (65) are his closest challengers, sitting on 14 under par.

However, Simpson will be well aware that the job is far from done, with several experienced campaigners still firmly in contention. Three former champions are within six shots of the lead, including Dean Burmester on 13 under par, Deon Germishuys on 11 under and George Coetzee on 10 under.

With 36 holes remaining, Simpson has an opportunity to add another prestigious title to what has already been an outstanding Sunshine Tour season. The three-time winner this season is also chasing a place in the history books of a tournament whose past champions include South African golfing legends Gary Player, Ernie Els, Nick Price, Louis Oosthuizen and Dale Hayes.

“It was incredible. I started hot with a birdie-birdie-eagle, so that set the tone for the day. I played pretty solid all the way to the end. I’m really looking forward to the weekend,” Simpson said.

“It’s great to play in front of this crowd. There’s a long way to go. It’s not easy to win when the scores are this low, but I’ll just try to do the same as I did over the first two days and see what happens.”

Van Wyk, meanwhile, is looking to turn his impressive position into a maiden Sunshine Tour victory.

Although he felt his ball-striking could have been better, the South African was pleased with the way he managed his game, particularly around the greens.

Deon Germishuys - Sunshine Tour

“I played really nicely today, although I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked. But the scoring was good and I saved myself quite a few times with my short game and putter. That’s why my score was low,” he said.

“It was nice to grind out a round and manage my scoring. I will be taking some good momentum into the weekend. This golf course really suits my game and plays to my strengths. I’m super excited for what’s to come.”

The PGA Championship, South Africa’s second-oldest professional golf tournament, also holds special memories for Van Wyk, who grew up watching the event.

Dean Burmester of Bloemfontein was in fourth after the second round - Sunshine Tour

“It’s an honour and would be awesome to find myself at the top of the Telkom PGA Championship leaderboard. It’s a flagship event for the Sunshine Tour, and I can remember when I was 10 or 12 how we used to sit and watch this event when Erik van Rooyen won the title. I remember watching that play-off,” he said.

“To win would be awesome and a real confidence booster for me and my career so far, heading into the big events.”

The third round of the prestigious tournament commences on Saturday.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport