Zander Lombard has won €1.2m so far in his European Tour career – he leads the €2.5m Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City with 36 holes to play. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ZANDER Lombard continued his recent run of fine form to take a two shot-lead into the weekend at South Africa’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

The South African, who topped last season’s Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, carded a round of 65 to get to 11-under par.

Lombard, who came closest to his breakthrough win losing a play-off in the Rocca Forte Open, in Sicily two years ago, said: “Playing with two legends of the game, it was nervy.

“But I settled down quickly with a birdie on the second and it was just all really good vibes from there. I played really well.

“The crowds were at their max and all into it. They were cheering and they were fantastic,” said Lombard, who did win the European Tour Qualifying School, at Lumine, in Spain, a year ago today.

“They were cheering for Ernie and Lee at the start, but I won them over at the end, so it was awesome.

Lombard, who lost in the final of the 2014 Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush, in 2015, is aware of the life-changing sums on offer to the winner at Sun City’s Gary Player Country Club.

“It’s a huge opportunity, and just need to keep myself calm and do the same on the weekend,” said 24-year-old Zander, who has won €1.2million in 95 European Tour events so far in his career.

“I’ve got a great team behind me and the processes are in place. I’m going to stick to my processes.

“It sounds cliché, but it’s as simple as that and we’ll see where it puts me at the end of the week,” said Lombard, who did win one of the Sunshine Tour’s Vodacom Origins Pro-Ams in 2018.

Compatriot Louis Oosthuizen – the 2010 Open Champion – got to nine-under, alongside Belgian Thomas Detry to trail Lombard in the seventh Rolex Series tournament of the season – the penultimate event of the 2019 Race to Dubai.

All three were in a tie for the lead after Lombard – who was playing alongside defending champion Lee Westwood and South African legend Ernie Els – went eagle-birdie after the turn.

But the 2014 Amateur Championship finalist’s rivals started heading in the wrong direction as he hit the front.

Overnight leader Oosthuizen – who was unsure if he would tee off on Thursday after suffering from kidney stones in the 24 hours before he was due to start – dropped shots on the 14^th and 15^th.

Oosthuizen, who had been in hospital seeking treatment on Wednesday, said: “I was fine starting. The last six holes got me a bit.

“The tee shot on 14 – I felt it in the right lower with the pain. I think the next two holes, I was thinking of that and didn’t really focus on what I had to do.

“Then on 16 again, I got my focus back and played nicely coming in. Pretty fatigued. Just need to rest for tomorrow.”

Meanwhile Detry double-bogeyed the 17^th after finding water from the tee and missing it with his third by the width of a post.

“It’s a tough course, anything can happen. Played some really good golf. On 17, it could have been a high number there.”

The Belgian, who is looking for his first European Tour victory in an event with a $2.5million winner’s prize, dropped another shot on the last.

“I limited the damage with a double-bogey and got a bit unlucky on 18,” said Detry.

“I hit a great drive, 300 metres down the middle. But it’s golf and just move on and see tomorrow.

“The putter seems to be working. Whole swing seems to be working as well,” added Detry, who has trod a similar path to Thomas Pieters after going to the same American University before turning pro.

Detry said: “Anything can happen on the weekend. A few guys are ahead of me, a few guys behind me. I think it’s going to be a fun battle.”

The 2017 Race to Dubai Champion Tommy Fleetwood and Swede Marcus Kinhult are in a share of fourth place at six-under par.

Fleetwood, who has not won since Abu Dhabi in January 2018, said: “It’s a tough golf course, and you’re always not that bad of a golf shot away from being stuck in trouble.

“You’ve just got to stay on it,” said the hero of Europe’s Ryder Cup win over the USA at Le Paris National in September 2018.

“Generally I feel like I can do well. I love this place. I love the week. I think it’s got a great atmosphere to it.

“I like teeing off on this golf course. I feel like there’s a lot of holes where you have to just make sure you free yourself up,” added Fleetwood.

Aaron Rai, from the West Midlands, Australian Jason Scrivener and Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen are a further shot back.

The current Race to Dubai leader – Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger – is among a group of seven players at four-under.

•For live scoring in the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, click here.

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Halfway joint leader Rafa Cabrera-Bello has gone bogey free for 36 holes around Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RAFA Cabrera-Bello and Adri Arnaus lead a Spanish quartet at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Open de España, delighting the home crowds at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

The pair carded rounds of 65 and 66 respectively, sharing the lead on 11-under par, with Cabrera-Bello going bogey-free for the second consecutive day.

Cabrera-Bello, who came close to winning the Spanish Open as an amateur when it was held in his native Canary Islands back in 2002, said: “You don’t get to go bogey free very often, and two days in a row.

“I’m not sure how many times I’ve done that. I’m very pleased with how I’m playing, I’m feeling confident out there and in control of my game. Lots of good shots and when I get into trouble, I’ve been saving par, it’s great.

“Yesterday was a dream day, and today we had it again – I think we’re minus-31 for the three of us, which is remarkable.

“We’re feeding off each other and off the crowd. Bouncing off each other, it’s amazing,” added Cabrera-Bello, who is coached by David Leadbetter, and made his Ryder Cup debut in Europe’s defeat by the USA at Hazeltine, in 2016.

The Canary Islander is hunting his first victory since the 2017 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, while Arnaus is hoping to go one better than his three runner-up finishes so far in his rookie European Tour season.

Rookie Adri Arnaus is sharing the lead in the Spanish Open, looking to improve on his three runners-up finishes in 2019. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Arnaus, who has finished second in Kenya, the Czech Republic already this season, said: “I’m really proud of how I’ve played these first two rounds.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much with the support of the crowds from home and also playing with Rahm and Rafa, it has been two fantastic days.

“You’re always a little bit nervous but at the end it’s just going out there and playing your best golf, and hopefully we can have some good rounds – and on Sunday we’ll see how it turns out,” added Arnaus, who would love to go one better than his last appearance in Spain, when he finished secodn in the Andalucia Masters at Valderamma, at the end of June.

Cabrera-Bello and Arnaus are one stroke ahead of journeyman Samuel Del Val who, in a bid to earn playing rights around the world, has spent the last four months on the road.

Del Val said: “It was a great round. I felt like I controlled both rounds really well, didn’t make many mistakes, only two bogeys.

“I had the putter going both days, made a couple of good ones and I’m in a good position going into the weekend.

“This is my 20^th week of the last 23. I’ve been away from home for four months. I live in the States in Atlanta,” said the 32-year-old.

“I’ve been playing PGA Tour China, had some invites on the Challenge Tour too,” added De Val, who is ranked 1,413 in the world.

“After losing my card on the Web.com Tour last year, I decided to try and have both ways to get back to where I think I should be playing.”

In fourth place is defending champion Jon Rahm, who recovered from a double bogey on the second hole to card a four-under 67.

The three-time Rolex Series winner sits two strokes behind Cabrera-Bello and Arnaus.

Rahm said: “I was lucky to only be two over through two, I saved a heck of a par on that first hole.

“It was a little shaky, but things like that happen. I was battling bad swings two days ago, yesterday was great, today I was trying to find the same feeling but I figured it out after that double bogey.

“My body is feeling good and I’m hoping to start well tomorrow, give an early scare to these guys and get the lead,” added the former World Amateur No. 1, who played his college golf in the States at Arizona State – the same university as Phil Mickleson and Paul Casey.

“I keep forgetting (I’m defending champion). I’m so focused on what I have to do, I’m focused on beating Adri and Rafa.

“One more day tomorrow to get in position. Hopefully I can play a little bit better, get off to a good start and keep it going for 18 holes,” said Rahm.

Rahm birdied the 18^th in front of thousands who came out in force to see the trio, who were grouped together for the first two rounds. The group are a combined 31-under heading into the weekend.

South African Zander Lombard is fifth on eight-under, one ahead of Finland’s Mikko Korhonen, Australias Jason Scrivener and Germany’s Marcel Siem.

•For live scoring in the third round of the Spanish Open, click here.

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