Poland’s Adrian Meronk makes a bit of history in South Africa

Adrian Meronk continued to make history as he opened up a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Meronk became the first Polish player to share the lead at a European Tour event after his opening 65 and a 66 on day two at Leopard Creek made the 27-year-old the first Pole to hold the outright lead.

At 13 under par Meronk is three shots ahead of Joburg Open winner Joachim B Hansen and England's Richard Bland, with South Africa's Jayden Schaper and France's Robin Roussel two strokes further back.

“I’m very pleased,” Meronk said after a round containing an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys. “I hit a lot of good shots and am very happy with my position.

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“The last couple of holes were quite dark, especially the last one. I didn’t want to rush anything because I’ve been in that position before and rushed it. I’m excited, I can’t wait. It’s only halfway and there’s still a lot of golf to be played, but I’m very happy.”

Hansen won his first European Tour title at Randpark on Sunday and carried on where he left off with a second round of 64, the lowest of the week so far.

“It’s really nice to be playing the way I’m playing right now so I’m just trying to keep it going,” he said. “I love South Africa.”

Bland, who is seeking a first European Tour title at the age of 47 and in his 468th event, carded a second consecutive 67 which included a birdie on the 18th in the rapidly fading light.

“We just got finished and it’s pretty dark now,” Bland said. “My eyesight’s not what it used to be so it was nice to roll one in at the last.

“I’m really happy with a real solid day again. Two more rounds around Leopard Creek is never a bad thing and it will be a fun weekend. Hopefully come Sunday afternoon I’ll be in there again.”

A birdie two on the seventh hole, his 16th, helped Northern Ireland's Cormac Sharvin get back to level par for his round, a second straight 72 also leaving him on level par, one shot inside the projected cut.

Jonathan Caldwell can make other plans for the weekend after a five-over 77 left him well down the field on 12 over.

Leaderboard

British and Irish unless stated, par 72, (a) denotes amateur

131 Adrian Meronk (Pol) 65 66

134 Richard Bland 67 67, Joachim B. Hansen (Den) 70 64

136 Robin Roussel (Fra) 65 71, Jayden Trey Schaper (Rsa) 69 67

137 Adri Arnaus (Esp) 70 67, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa) 69 68, Scott Jamieson 66 71

138 Ockie Strydom (Rsa) 68 70, Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 69 69, Oliver Wilson 69 69, Benjamin Follet-Smith (Zim) 69 69, Sean Crocker (USA) 70 68, Oliver Farr 70 68

139 Daniel Van Tonder (Rsa) 69 70, James Kingston (Rsa) 71 68, Wilco Nienaber (Rsa) 71 68

140 Julian Suri (USA) 71 69, Pedro Figueiredo (Por) 72 68, Calum Hill 71 69

141 Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 72, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 69 72, Richard McEvoy 71 70, Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 72, Philip Eriksson (Swe) 74 67, Matthias Schwab (Aut) 70 71

142 Marcus Armitage 71 71, Matthew Jordan 69 73, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 70 72, Dale Whitnell 70 72, Robert Macintyre 72 70, Johannes Veerman (USA) 71 71, Eddie Pepperell 71 71, Gavin Green (Mal) 68 74, Masahiro Kawamura (Jpn) 69 73, Chris Wood 69 73, Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 73 69, David Horsey 69 73, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 73 69, Hennie Du Plessis (Rsa) 71 71, MJ Viljoen (Rsa) 73 69, Fabrizio Zanotti (Pry) 71 71, Steve Surry 72 70, Scott Vincent (Zim) 72 70, Alexander Levy (Fra) 70 72

143 Steven Brown 69 74, Dylan Naidoo (Rsa) 74 69, Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 68 75, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 71 72, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 73 70, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 74 69, Wil Besseling (Ned) 73 70, Rourke Van Der Spuy (Rsa) 74 69, James Du Preez (Rsa) 69 74, Adrian Otaegui (Esp) 75 68, Ruan Conradie (Rsa) 70 73

144 Cormac Sharvin 72 72, Anthony Michael (Rsa) 76 68, Martin Rohwer (Rsa) 74 70, Jean-Paul Strydom (Rsa) 73 71, Darius Van Driel (Ned) 73 71, Justin Walters (Rsa) 72 72, Jack Senior 76 68, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 73 71, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 71 73

145 Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 69 76, Anton Karlsson (Swe) 73 72, Joel Stalter (Fra) 76 69, Jaco Ahlers (Rsa) 73 72, Ruan Korb (Rsa) 75 70, George Coetzee (Rsa) 73 72, Alvaro Quiros (Esp) 75 70, Matias Calderon (Chi) 71 74, David Drysdale 72 73, (a) Casey Jarvis (Rsa) 74 71, Deon Germishuys (Rsa) 73 72, Thriston Lawrence (Rsa) 76 69, Keith Horne (Rsa) 75 70, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 74 71

146 Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) 73 73, Michael G Palmer (Rsa) 73 73, Jake Redman (Rsa) 76 70, Daniel Greene (Rsa) 70 76, Bryce Easton (Rsa) 76 70, Jamie Donaldson 76 70, Jake Roos (Rsa) 74 72, Chris Cannon 74 72

147 David Law 72 75, JC Ritchie (Rsa) 75 72, Keenan Davidse (Rsa) 74 73, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 72 75, Jacques Kruyswijk (Rsa) 71 76, Andrew Van Der Knaap (Rsa) 77 70, Garrick Higgo (Rsa) 72 75, Connor Syme 78 69, Ross McGowan 76 71

148 Riekus Nortje (Rsa) 72 76, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 77 71, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 74 74, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 76 72, CJ Du Plessis (Rsa) 74 74, Dean Burmester (Rsa) 76 72, Jaco Prinsloo (Rsa) 76 72, Nacho Elvira (Esp) 70 78, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 76 72,

149 Toby Tree 74 75, Zander Lombard (Rsa) 73 76, Michael Hollick (Rsa) 78 71, Laurie Canter 74 75, Ricardo Santos (Por) 75 74, Stefan Wears-Taylor (Rsa) 77 72, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 79 70, Aaron Cockerill (Can) 76 73, Musiwalo Nethunzwi (Rsa) 79 70

150 Sean Bradley (Rsa) 72 78, Anton Haig (Rsa) 74 76, Scott Hend (Aus) 74 76, Albert Venter (Rsa) 75 75, Rhys Enoch 77 73

151 Joel Sjoholm (Swe) 78 73, Estiaan Conradie (Rsa) 75 76, Heinrich Bruiners (Rsa) 77 74, Stephen Ferreira (Por) 74 77

152 (a) Joe Long 79 73, Tristen Strydom (Rsa) 78 74, MJ Daffue (Rsa) 76 76, Oliver Fisher 80 72

153 Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 77 76, Louis Albertse (Rsa) 73 80, Nicolai Hojgaard (Den) 73 80, Carlos Pigem (Esp) 76 77

154 Adrien Saddier (Fra) 77 77, Ruan Ger Smidt (Rsa) 83 71, Ben Stow 79 75, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Esp) 77 77

155 David Howell 76 79, JJ Senekal (Rsa) 77 78, Luke Jerling (Rsa) 77 78

156 Toto Thimba Jnr (Rsa) 77 79, Haydn Porteous (Rsa) 77 79, Jorge Campillo (Esp) 80 76, Benjamin Poke (Den) 76 80, Jack Harrison 76 80, Lars Van Meijel (Ned) 78 78, (a) Jake Bolton 79 77, Jonathan Caldwell 79 77

157 Callum Mowat (Rsa) 76 81

158 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 75 83

159 Siyanda Mwandia (Rsa) 83 76, Teaghan Gauche (Rsa) 82 77

160 Thanda Mavundla (Rsa) 81 79

162 Thomas Plumb 89 73

163 Merrick Bremner (Rsa) 80 83