<p>Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill. Picture: GolfRSA</p>
Galform Castle’s Joshua Hill carded a three-under 69 to take a one-shot lead over Malone’s Matthew McClean into the last two rounds of the South African Stroke Play Championship.
The reigning Mullingar Scratch Trophy champion overcame an early bogey six at the 11th with four birdies at Mount Edgecombe Country Club to lead on seven-under-par at halfway.
“It was around 6:50 in the morning and I must have been tired, and I just winged one in the water,” Hill said of his early mistake. “Then I lipped out from six feet for par, which was a bit frustrating. But thankfully I got round the next 16 holes pretty good.
“It’s always nice when you are in a competition and you are in contention. It’s nice to be up there trying to win a trophy and not playing for places.:
Hill putted well to open with a 68 but felt his ball striking was better in yesterday’s 69.
“Yesterday I holed two pretty longish ones, today I just a lot more solid, tee-to-green and hit more greens and if I had a chance inside 10 feet, I took care of it.”
#Spotlight
— GolfRSA (@GolfRSA) February 14, 2023
He went 4 deep in round 1 & a 3-under 69 early in round 2 boosted Joshua Hill into #PolePosition!
Let's hear from the @GolfIreland_ golfer on today's effort.
2023 #SAStrokePlay | @Mountecc#golfrsa #itstartshere @irishnewssport @IrishGolfDesk pic.twitter.com/YR9QgGboLs
McClean made seven birdies in an opening 69, but he was pleased to go bogey-free en route to a very different 69 yesterday.
“I played a bit more conservatively, but I left a soft birdie there on 18, which was pretty frustrating,” the reigning US Mid-Amateur champion said. “But I’ll get over it pretty quickly.”
It's @GolfIreland_ all the way at the top of the leaderboard after reigning US Mid-Amateur champion Matthew McClean carded successive 69s to finish 1 stroke behind compatriot Joshua Hills
— GolfRSA (@GolfRSA) February 14, 2023
2023 #SAStrokePlay | @Mountecc#golfrsa #itstartshere @IrishGolfDesk pic.twitter.com/NXuUvRXMCN
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley is the next best of the Irish, tied for 10th, six shots behind Hill, after a 73.
South African Stroke Play Championship, Mount Edgecombe CC (Lakes Course, Par 72)
| Rank | Name | Club | Prev | Hole | Rd.2 | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Hill | Galgorm Castle | -4 | 18 | -3 | -7 |
| 2 | Matthew McClean | Malone | -3 | 18 | -3 | -6 |
| 3 | Martin Couvra | Dolce Fregate | -4 | 18 | 0 | -4 |
| T4 | Jordan Burnand | Ebotse Golf & Country Estate | 1 | 18 | -4 | -3 |
| T4 | Pascal Gunther | Bryanston Country Club | -2 | 18 | -1 | -3 |
| T4 | Jean Pierre van der Watt | Humewood Golf Club | -2 | 18 | -1 | -3 |
| T7 | Gregor Graham | Blairgowrie | 1 | 18 | -3 | -2 |
| T7 | Shaurya Bhattacharya | Aepta GC | -2 | 18 | 0 | -2 |
| T7 | Matthew Wilson | Forres GC | -5 | 18 | 3 | -2 |
| T10 | Hugh Foley | Royal Dublin Golf Club | -2 | 18 | 1 | -1 |
| T10 | Adel Balala | NGCC | -1 | 18 | 0 | -1 |
| T10 | Matthew Lotz | Milnerton Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 0 | -1 |
| T10 | Astin Wade Arthur | Umhlali Country Club | 1 | 18 | -2 | -1 |
| T14 | Conner Mackenzie | Randpark Golf Club | 3 | 18 | -3 | 0 |
| T14 | Werner Deyzel | Woodhill Country Club | -1 | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| T14 | Aldrich Potgieter | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | -2 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| T14 | Itai Cohen | IMG Academy | -2 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| T18 | Robert Brazill | Naas GC | -3 | 18 | 4 | 1 |
| T18 | Christopher Bagnall | State Mines Country Club | -1 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| T18 | Oliver Goldhill | Magaliespark Country Club | -1 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| T18 | Tyron Davidowitz | Hermanus Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| T18 | Gregor Tait | Alderburgh GC | 0 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| T18 | Dylan Kayne | Pearl Valley Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| T18 | Martin Papworth | Heron Banks Golf Club | 2 | 18 | -1 | 1 |
| T18 | Peter O'Keeffe | Douglas GC | 2 | 18 | -1 | 1 |
| T26 | Daniel Bennett | Silver Lakes Country Club | -2 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
| T26 | Jamie Mann | Vilamoura GC | -2 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
| T26 | Stals Swart | Silver Lakes Country Club | -2 | 18 | 4 | 2 |
| T26 | Filip Sakota | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | -1 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| T26 | Njoroge Kibugu | Bellville Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| T26 | Altin van der Merwe | Bellville Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| T26 | Matt Roberts | Royal Porthcawl Links | 2 | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| T33 | Kayle Wykes | CMR Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| T33 | Rees Martin Emanuel | Country Club Johannesburg | 1 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| T33 | Meyer Pauw | Stellenbosch Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 3 | 3 |
| T33 | Ivan Verster | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| T37 | Johann Christiaan Klopper | Silver Lakes Country Club | -1 | 18 | 5 | 4 |
| T37 | Grant Labuschagne | Randpark Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
| T37 | Dian Wilmot | Royal Durban Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
| T37 | Warwick Purchase | Benoni Country Club | 1 | 18 | 3 | 4 |
| T37 | Richard Knightly | Royal Dublin Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 3 | 4 |
| T37 | Thomas Austin | Murhof GC | 2 | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| T37 | Robert Moran | Castle Golf Club | 2 | 18 | 2 | 4 |
| T37 | Jonathan Broomhead | Durban Country Club | 3 | 18 | 1 | 4 |
| T45 | Thomas Lecomte | ASGI | 7 | 18 | -2 | 5 |
| T45 | Akhil Maduray | Mount Edgecombe CC | 5 | 18 | 0 | 5 |
| T45 | Jean du Toit | Eagle Canyon | 2 | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| T45 | Tiaan Tibshraeny | Kirkwood Golf Club | 2 | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| T45 | Morris Schiefner | Fancourt Country Club | 1 | 18 | 4 | 5 |
| T45 | Vian Jansen van Vuuren | The Els Club, Copperleaf | 1 | 18 | 4 | 5 |
| T51 | Bryce Bibby | Royal Durban Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 7 | 6 |
| T51 | Vinamra Anand | Hyderabad | 1 | 18 | 5 | 6 |
| T51 | Travis Ladner | Eagle Canyon | 2 | 18 | 4 | 6 |
| T51 | Mark Stockdale | West Lancashire | 3 | 18 | 3 | 6 |
| T51 | Jordan Wessels | Mooinooi Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 3 | 6 |
| T51 | Zachary Chegwidden | Orsett GC | 4 | 18 | 2 | 6 |
| T51 | Harimohan Singh | Noida GC | 4 | 18 | 2 | 6 |
| T51 | Amilkar Bhana | Country Club Johannesburg | 5 | 18 | 1 | 6 |
| T51 | Kyle de Beer | Port Elizabeth Golf Club | 5 | 18 | 1 | 6 |
| T51 | Craig Jacobs | Atlantic Beach Links | 6 | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| T51 | Vukasin Suturovic | Kingswood Golf Estate | 9 | 18 | -3 | 6 |
| T62 | Jan−Hendrik Nieuwoudt | Mossel Bay Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 7 | 7 |
| T62 | Simon du Plooy | Krugersdorp Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 7 | 7 |
| T62 | Keagan Crosbie | Centurion Country Club | 0 | 18 | 7 | 7 |
| T62 | Janko van der Merwe | Magaliespark Country Club | 1 | 18 | 6 | 7 |
| T62 | Todd Parker | Omeya Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 4 | 7 |
| T62 | Damian Osner | Simola Golf & Country Estate | 3 | 18 | 4 | 7 |
| T62 | Travis Procter | Durbanville Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 3 | 7 |
| T62 | Christiaan Heyman | Bloemfontein Golf Club | 5 | 18 | 2 | 7 |
| T62 | Charl Barnard | Centurion Country Club | 5 | 18 | 2 | 7 |
| Projected cut | ||||||
| T71 | Fabrizio de Abreu | Woodhill Country Club | 1 | 18 | 7 | 8 |
| T71 | Louis Liebenberg | Glenvista Country Club | 2 | 18 | 6 | 8 |
| T71 | Tristan Leonard | Silver Lakes Country Club | 3 | 18 | 5 | 8 |
| T71 | Dennis Kinyanjul Maara | Limuru CC | 4 | 18 | 4 | 8 |
| T71 | Crismar Engelbrecht | De Zalze Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 4 | 8 |
| T71 | Ruben van der Berg | Kloof Country Club | 5 | 18 | 3 | 8 |
| T71 | Desmond van der Walt | Kingswood Golf Estate | 6 | 18 | 2 | 8 |
| T71 | Pieter Rossouw | Pearl Valley Golf Club | 9 | 18 | -1 | 8 |
| T79 | Matthew Rossouw | Centurion Country Club | 9 | 18 | 0 | 9 |
| T79 | John Lejirma | Kenya Railway GC | 7 | 18 | 2 | 9 |
| T79 | Milind Soni | Hyderabad | 6 | 18 | 3 | 9 |
| T79 | Reece McKain | Benoni Country Club | 4 | 18 | 5 | 9 |
| T79 | Ethan Fichardt | Centurion Country Club | 4 | 18 | 5 | 9 |
| T79 | Sean Paxton | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 4 | 18 | 5 | 9 |
| T79 | Dan Copeman | Steenberg Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 6 | 9 |
| T79 | Marc Boucher | Carton House | 3 | 18 | 6 | 9 |
| T87 | Nicholas Lewis | Silver Lakes Country Club | 6 | 18 | 4 | 10 |
| T87 | Sean Howell | Durbanville Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 4 | 10 |
| T89 | Jack Brugman | Strand Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 10 | 11 |
| T89 | Gert Dreyer | Vaal De Grace Golf Estate | 4 | 18 | 7 | 11 |
| T89 | Jere Brits | Langebaan Golf & Sports Club | 5 | 18 | 6 | 11 |
| T89 | Lumkile Mantshiyo | Port Elizabeth Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 5 | 11 |
| T89 | Ruben Jansen van Rensburg | Mooinooi Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 5 | 11 |
| T94 | Titouan Tregouet | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 7 | 18 | 5 | 12 |
| T94 | Lyle Pedro | Sishen Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 6 | 12 |
| T94 | David Watts | Durban Country Club | 6 | 18 | 6 | 12 |
| T94 | Hannes Strooh | Goldfields West Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 8 | 12 |
| T94 | Jaden Deltel | Bryanston Country Club | 3 | 18 | 9 | 12 |
| T94 | Michael Wallace | Oubaai Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 11 | 12 |
| T100 | Simon Austin | Murhof GC | 2 | 18 | 11 | 13 |
| T100 | Nathan Stewart Schuldt | Silver Lakes Country Club | 3 | 18 | 10 | 13 |
| T100 | Werner Potgieter | Olivewood Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 9 | 13 |
| T100 | Oswin Schlenkrich | Queenstown Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 7 | 13 |
| T100 | Ryan Melville | Oubaai Golf Club | 8 | 18 | 5 | 13 |
| T105 | Bradley Coombes | Orsett | 9 | 18 | 5 | 14 |
| T105 | Bernhard Köster | Silver Lakes Country Club | 8 | 18 | 6 | 14 |
| T105 | Tomas Smicek | Trnava GC | 8 | 18 | 6 | 14 |
| T105 | Charles Pieterse | Vaal De Grace Golf Estate | 7 | 18 | 7 | 14 |
| T105 | Christian Kriek | Pretoria Country Club | 5 | 18 | 9 | 14 |
| T110 | Michael Ferreira | Woodhill Country Club | 6 | 18 | 9 | 15 |
| T110 | John−George Pringle | Zwartkop Country Club | 7 | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| T110 | Liam Britz | Magaliespark Country Club | 8 | 18 | 7 | 15 |
| T113 | Khanya Mkhize | Ebotse Golf & Country Estate | 7 | 18 | 9 | 16 |
| T113 | Bernard Jansen van Vuuren | Mbombela Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 10 | 16 |
| T113 | Andrew Wahome | Waterkloof Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 12 | 16 |
| T113 | Jonathan George | Zimbali Country Club | 3 | 18 | 13 | 16 |
| T117 | Darryn van Zyl | Lime Acres Golf Club | 11 | 18 | 6 | 17 |
| T117 | David Krige | Country Club Johannesburg | 10 | 18 | 7 | 17 |
| T117 | Gary Kemp | Bloemfontein Golf Club | 8 | 18 | 9 | 17 |
| T120 | Kairav Maduray | Mount Edgecombe CC | 5 | 18 | 13 | 18 |
| T120 | Clinton Duncan | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 5 | 18 | 13 | 18 |
| T120 | Jules Helary | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 5 | 18 | 13 | 18 |
| T120 | Aran Sinclair | Bellville Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 12 | 18 |
| T120 | Letsoso Letsai | Maccauvlei Golf Club | 9 | 18 | 9 | 18 |
| T120 | Handre Truter | Waterkloof Golf Club | 10 | 18 | 8 | 18 |
| T126 | Luke Willis−Schoeman | Benoni Country Club | 10 | 18 | 9 | 19 |
| T126 | Oliver Brown | Royal Porthcawl | 4 | 18 | 15 | 19 |
| T128 | Tariro November | Chapman Golf Club | 12 | 18 | 8 | 20 |
| T128 | Jandré van Niekerk | Silver Lakes Country Club | 13 | 18 | 7 | 20 |
| T128 | Matthew Bramford | Kingswood Golf Estate | 16 | 18 | 4 | 20 |
| 131 | Mojalefa Nale | Leopard Park Golf Club | 8 | 18 | 14 | 22 |
| T132 | Christian Lewis | Silver Lakes Country Club | 15 | 18 | 8 | 23 |
| T132 | Paul Jurie Swanepoel | Mount Edgecombe CC | 13 | 18 | 10 | 23 |
| 134 | Max Halfants | Loretto GC | 8 | 18 | 16 | 24 |
| 135 | John Rabie | Paarl Golf Club | 15 | 18 | 10 | 25 |
| 136 | Fred Njoroge | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 14 | 18 | 13 | 27 |
| T137 | Schalk Booysen | Silver Lakes Country Club | 18 | 18 | 13 | 31 |
| T137 | Andreas Yiallouris | Country Club Johannesburg | 18 | 18 | 13 | 31 |
| T139 | Chris Xiao | Beachwood Golf Club | 20 | 18 | 12 | 32 |
| T139 | Danie Jooste | De Zalze Golf Club | 18 | 18 | 14 | 32 |
| 141 | Gregory Sundstrom | Modderfontein Golf Club | 14 | 18 | 21 | 35 |
| 142 | Panashe John Mukumba | Ruwa Golf Club | 22 | 18 | 15 | 37 |
| 143 | Jack McDonnell | Forest Little GC | 2 | DQN | 2 | |
| 144 | Joshua Koekemoer | Silver Lakes Country Club | − | WD | − |
Article Link: Hill heads McClean by one at halfway in South African Stroke Play - News - Irish Golf Desk