Golf:Rory McIlroy's trip to South Africa has been a journey too far as the world number 10 props up the field at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City where home favourite Retief Goosen claimed a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 12-man end of season event.

Goosen, who won a car for an eagle on the 17th yesterday, added a 68 to his opening 69 at the Gary Player designed layout for a seven-under-par halfway total of 137.

The double US Open champion carded six birdies and two bogeys to edge ahead of defending champion Henrik Stenson, Masters champion Angel Cabrera and overnight leader Robert Allenby.

Cabrera had threatened to pull clear of the field after compiling a superb front nine in glorious conditions. The Argentine picked up birdies at the second, sixth, eighth and ninth to reach the turn in 32.

Further birdies followed at the 10th and 12th but his only bogey of the day on the 16th dropped Cabrera back into a tie for second after a 67.

Stenson, who won with a 21-under-par total last year, picked up four shots in his first six holes but was unable to maintain the momentum.

The world number seven bogeyed the 11th and birdied the 13th on his way to a round of 68.

Allenby looked like being left behind after starting his second round with nine straight pars, but the Australian picked up three birdies on the back nine before dropping his first shot of the week on the 15th.

England’s Ross Fisher carded back-to-back eagles on the ninth and 10th in a round of 69 which lifted him to two under, but McIlroy’s 76 left him at the foot of the pile on five-over.

The 20-year-old admitted at the start of the week he was feeling “run down” after a hectic end to the season and did well to salvage the 76 after playing his first eight holes today in seven-over.

Collated second round scores & totals in the Sunshine Tour Nedbank Golf Challenge, Gary Player Country Club, Sun City, Johannesburg, South Africa

(Rsa unless stated, par 72):

137Retief Goosen 69 68

138Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 71 67, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 68

141Hunter Mahan (USA) 70 71, Tim Clark 69 72

142Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 72, Ross Fisher (Eng) 73 69

143Luke Donald (Eng) 72 71

146Nick Watney (USA) 73 73

147Richard Sterne 72 75

149 Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 73 76