South Africa’s Shaun Norris defied the discomfort of an ear infection to seize the lead at the Joburg Open heading into the weekend at Houghton Golf Club.
The 41-year-old delivered a flawless, bogey-free 63 on Friday to move to 11 under par, one stroke clear of France’s Adrien Saddier, who carded a 65 but dropped a shot at the last, surrendering a share of the lead.
Norris has battled the infection since Tuesday, struggling to sleep and losing hearing in his left ear. Despite the challenge, his focus on the course has remained unshaken.
“I picked it up on Tuesday afternoon and saw the doctor on Wednesday. They tried to flush it out, but it didn’t work, so I was put on antibiotics,” Norris said.
“I can’t hear anything out of my left ear, which is frustrating, but somehow it’s not bothering me when I’m over the ball. That was my main concern, especially with balance, but fortunately, it hasn’t affected me at all.”
Norris praised the condition of the course, which has held up well despite heavy rain in recent days. The South African is now in contention for his third DP World Tour title and his second in three months after winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma, the 2017 Joburg Open champion, and Scotland’s Connor Syme sit tied for third on nine under par. Sharma, in particular, is relishing his return to a tournament that changed the trajectory of his career.
“Coming back to South Africa is always special. The Joburg Open was my first win, and it got me onto the DP World Tour. I still have fond memories of that victory, it was life-changing,” Sharma said.
Among the South Africans to make the cut, 2014 champion George Coetzee remains in the hunt for a second Joburg Open title, aiming to emulate compatriot Charl Schwartzel, who won back-to-back in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, Jacques Kruyswijk, currently inside the top 10, will look to build on his strong performances.
It was a disappointing finish, however, for Toto Thimba Jnr, who started brightly but narrowly missed the cut after a difficult close to his second round.
With a tightly contested leaderboard and strong South African representation, the weekend promises an enthralling conclusion at Houghton Golf Club.
Written by Luyanda Lunier