Christiaan Bezuidenhout holds a four-shot lead at the halfway stage of the $3.4 million Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Valderrama, but tournament host Sergio Garcia looms large in the South African’s rear-view mirror.
Bezuidenhout carded a 3-under 68 to move to 8 under, four shots ahead of the field. Tournament host Garcia is tied for second place along with fellow Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Adri Arnaus, and veteran Welshman Bradley Dredge.
Strong winds made the 1997 Ryder Cup course more challenging than the opening round. The 25-year-old Johannesburg resident handled the conditions better than the rest of the field. He only dropped one shot, a bogey at the seventh hole.
“I just kept it in play really nicely,” Bezuidenhout said. “That’s the key thing here, hitting fairways. I was driving it really well. On a course like this you can score well if you hit the fairways but if you don’t you can really struggle.
“I prefer the tougher conditions. It’s tough for everyone.”
Bezuidenhout is feeding off a T-3 in last week’s BMW International Open as he chases his first European Tour victory. The BMW was his fourth top 10 of the season, including T2 in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. He was also fourth in the Hero Indian Open.
“I’m just hoping to do the same, hit fairways and greens, give myself chances and see where I finish up.”
Garcia struggled to a 1-over 72, mainly because he struggled with his putter. However, he’s playing his favorite golf course and looking for his third successive victory in the event he hosts through his Sergio Garcia Foundation. He also won in 2011.
“Obviously it was very difficult this afternoon, the greens were very firm and it got quite windy, more than yesterday afternoon,” Garcia said. “I just didn’t make any putts, but I felt like I played really well under the conditions and the difficulty of the course.
“The way the course is playing you have to pick your spots. There are some good spots where you can be aggressive, but you also have to be a little bit careful.”
Quiros is looking for his eighth European Tour victory. Dredge is chasing his third, and the first since the 2006 Omega European Masters. Arnaus is in the same boat as Bezuidenhout. The Texas A&M graduate is also seeking his first win after turning pro in 2017.
