Charl Schwartzel, Dylan Frittelli and Ernie Els were all sent home with Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Dean Burmester through to the US Open weekend.
Grace hit nearly 80% of greens in regulation on Friday to play his way above Oosthuizen as the leading South African. Grace’s 69 was just one of 14 scores under par during the second round but the 30-year-old has an almost impossible task of winning at Shinnecock Hills with Dustin Johnson sitting at -4 at the halfway mark.
Grace’s second round has him +5 through 36 with Oosthuizen one back.
Grace made four birdies, getting the best out of his putter on a few occasions on Friday, each time going back to back with gains at 3 and 4 and again at 13 and 14.
Oosthuizen was set to join Grace on +5 but for a slightly errant drive on his final hole; not that anyone this week needed proof that a tee shot not finding the shot grass would result in bogey.
The one-time Major winner took 33 putts and made just a single birdie, at the par 5 16th, on Friday and sits in a share of 35th place on +6.
Dean Burmester is the third and final South African into the weekend after a 73 to add to his opening 75. The multiple Sunshine Tour winner can tick a positive start off to his Major career and will know a lower score is out there after hitting 11 of 14 fairways on Friday, 8% higher than the field average before seeing his greens hit stat tumble down to just 10 of 18.
Charl Schwartzel was always going to be under pressure trying to make the weekend after his opening 79 and it didn’t get any easier after a bogey on the first.
Birdies at the fifth where he got up and down from the bunker and then a beautiful iron into the famous(ly difficult) seventh hole set up his second of the day as he looked up for the fight. Unfortunately, that’s where his run ended with three dropped shots in his next four holes en route to a 73.
Dylan Frittelli hit just six fairways and bogeyed his last eight holes in a row to finish with an 80 and +18 for the championship. One shot ahead was Ernie Els, read more about his round here!
