SA with work to do in Argentina

Top South African amateurs Gerlou Roux and Callum Mowat slipped from second to a tie for fourth after second round action at the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup in Argentina wrapped up on Friday.

Mowat carded a six-over-par 77 and Roux returned a 78 at the Los Lagartos Country Club.

Their second round team total of 155, combined with their opening 146, left the South Africans joint fourth with championship debutants Ireland on 301.

The local heroes will have their job cut out to make up an 11 shot deficit on Spain, who hit the front at 290 after a 69 from Mario Aguilar and a 73 from partner David Ayra.

First round leaders Denmark also back pedalled with a 150 to finish two shots off the pace in second, while the host nation hung on to third at 294 with a 69 from Santiago Bauni and a 77 from Alejandro Tosti.

Successive rounds of 151 saw defending champions Australia inch from joint eighth to sixth on 302, just a shot shy of South Africa.

Mowat said the trying conditions took its toll on most of the 16 country’s participating.

“This course demands precision but the wind blew even harder and the heavy rain made a very challenging course even tougher,” he said. “The greens are so fast that without the rain softening them, the damage could have been even worse in the strong winds.

“The competition is tough and, but we will continue fighting. This championship is far from over.”

LEADERBOARD

290 Spain 148-142

292 Denmark 143-149

294 Argentina 148-146

301 South Africa 146-155; Ireland 152-149

302 Australia 152-150

306 Portugal 150-156; Italy 149-157

307 New Zealand 155-152

309 Uruguay 148-161

311 Canada 157-154

312 Finlandia 154-158

313 Peru 155-158

316 Brazil 159-157

319 Venezuela 156-163

337 Colombia 162-175