Rhys West bought himself a new putter after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Final and it paid off as he led by the end of Friday’s second round at the Pezula Championship Course.

West followed up his opening 69 with a 66 to lead the field on nine under par. He heads into the weekend with a one-stroke lead over Neil Schietekat and Stuart Krog. Schietekat signed for a 71 on Friday while Krog added a 68.

Rupert Kaminski kept himself in contention with a 71 to head into the final 36 holes on seven under par. And a record three Sunshine Ladies Tour professional also made it through to the weekend in what has been a first in the history of this series where they have competed alongside the Sunshine Tour professionals in the same event for the same prize money.

With the wind gusts always a challenge at Pezula, West relied heavily on his short game on Friday – more specifically his putting.

“I bought another putter the day before. It’s the same putter as my old one. The shaft on my old putter was bent and we couldn’t fix it, so I just decided to buy a new one and the feel just started coming back,” said West, who started his round at the 10th and was already five under at the turn before he added three birdies and two bogeys on his second nine.

“I think the big thing is confidence. I’ve had a couple of good finishes and it’s just helped with confidence. I haven’t changed anything drastically in my game. It’s just short game and confidence,” he said.

It’s a recipe he’s hoping to keep sticking to over the weekend.

“It’s all weather dependent really. I can’t really push too hard or overpower a golf course. It’s just about thinking my way around and keeping my course management together. I’ll just keep playing the course the way it’s being presented.”

Zethu Myeki is the leading Sunshine Ladies Tour professional heading into the weekend. Myeki signed for a 68 on Friday that lifted her to five under par overall. Tara Griebenow and Brittney-Fay Berger also made it through to the weekend. Griebenow signed for a second round of 75 for a 36-hole total of one under par, while Berger added a 74 that places her on one over par, with the cut falling on two over.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tyrone Winfield/ Sunshine Tour