Everything you need to know from the second day at Durban Country Club.
Dale Whitnell achieved an extremely rare feat while a young South African amateur shone brightly on day two of the 2025 Investec South African Open Championship.
Here is everything you need to know from the second day at Durban Country Club.
Whitnell makes two aces in same round
Whitnell enjoyed a possible once-in-a-lifetime experience on Friday as he made not one but two holes-in-one in his second round. The Englishman aced the par-three second and 12th in a remarkable nine-under-par 63 which included a further eagle, seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. Whitnell had never previously made a hole-in-one in tournament play and becomes just the second player in DP World Tour history to record multiple aces in the same round after Andrew Dodt, who achieved the feat at the Nordea Masters in 2013. He said: "I got off to a hot start, as they say. I birdied the first and then hit a flush seven iron on the second and didn’t realise that it had gone in until down the bottom [greenside] they cheered, so that was lovely. And then managed to get another hole-in-one at the 12th."
And Van Tonder nearly joins the party
Daniel van Tonder went agonisingly close to contributing the third ace of the day as he nearly slam dunked his tee-shot at the fourth.
Norris hits the front
Home favourite Shaun Norris made 12 birdies and no bogeys in 27 holes on Friday to lead by one shot when the second round was suspended due to darkness at 18.21 local time. Countryman Dylan Naidoo was Norris' nearest challenger on 13 under after his second-round 61 but plenty of afternoon starters still have an opportunity to close the gap when round two resumes at 07.30 on Saturday, including Sam Bairstow who sits on 11 under with ten holes to go.
Colsaerts commits
Talk about committing to a shot... Nicolas Colsaerts took his top off to play this shot from the water at the tenth, and a good chuckle was had in the commentary box.
Naidoo goes very low
Naidoo was not thinking about the prospect of shooting a 59 as he matched the lowest DP World Tour round of the 2025 season - because he had no idea what his score was. The 27-year-old carded an eagle, ten birdies and one bogey in round two to sign for an 11-under-par 61. That saw him equal the lowest round of the year so far, posted by Brandon Robinson Thompson at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship in January. While others may have been wondering whether Naidoo could break 60 after he turned in 30 blows before making an eagle, four birdies and one bogey on his back nine, he had no such thoughts. The South African said: "It's crazy - I honestly had no idea what I shot. I was like 'maybe this putt's for 59, I have no idea'."
Amazing amateur puts on a show
Christiaan Maas not only bucked the trend by making the cut as an amateur but he also put himself firmly in contention thanks to a sparkling 64. He made eight birdies - four on each nine - to reach ten under par at the halfway point and sit within striking distance of those above him.
