Former Gauteng North mates Russel Franz and Werner van Niekerk will go up against each other in the final round of the IGT Tour’s fourth Race to the USA at Krugersdorp Golf Club on Wednesday.
Franz was forced to share a first round lead with Korean Hyun Park after both drawing their scores level on 67, while Van Niekerk fell three shots off the pace.
Franz, who is hunting a second successive title after his success at Wingate Park, pushed into pole with his second round shooting with his four-under-par 68 on Tuesday.
Van Niekerk closed him down, however, as he did well to come within striking distance of Franz to trail him by two with a 67.
Van Niekerk has notched six top 10 finishes in 10 starts since February and is keen to convert two runner-up finishes to victory.
“Some days I am just delighted at the level of consistency I have achieved in the last three months, and on other days, I feel frustrated that I haven’t closed the deal,” the 23-year-old BSc Construction Management graduate said.
