Branden Grace and Dylan Frittelli joined Charl Schwartzel and Brandon Stone to make it four South Africans playing the weekend at the PGA Championship.
Grace and Frittelli were forced to finish up their second rounds and both did enough to secure a payday and two extra rounds at the year’s final Major.
Frittelli birdied two of his final three holes to make it two successive cuts on the PGA Championship. For the second day in a row, the two-time European Tour winner dropped a shot at the par-three 6th but the Texas-educated athlete rebounded sharply on Saturday morning to ensure his trip to St Louis would not end in a damp squib.
Frittelli’s second round 67 was six strokes better than Thursday’s effort as he made the cut on the number.
Grace, at two under par for the championship, enjoyed a stop-start round that tied in with the stop-start nature of play over the past two days. The 2017 Nedbank Golf Challenge winner started Saturday with a bogey on the 7th to make it two in a row after he closed on Friday with a drop on the 6th.
He then sandwiched birdies at the 11th and 13th with a drop at the 12th before a string of pars to close as he settled for an even-par 70.
The top of the pile remains unchanged with Gary Woodland leading the way at -10 and Kevin Kisner one back.
Rickie Fowler was among the players needed to settle his 36-hole score and joined Brooks Koepka in a share of third three back. Tiger Woods stalled on Saturday after starting -3 through seven holes. A birdie at the 8th got the expectant crowd in the mood but his back nine failed to match his exploits of Friday as he carded a 35 to sit in a share of 19th place.
Prolific Sunshine Tour winner Justin Harding missed the cut by two strokes on his Major debut. He fired a second round 70 that included three birdies at Bellerive Country Club.
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
