Hahn in Front at Africa Open


After opening with a 65, American John Hahn finally completed his rain-delayed second round, a 10-under 61 that gave him a two-stroke lead in the Africa Open. The European Tour event began Thursday at London Golf Club in East London, South Africa.

The 24-year-old graduate of Kent State University carded eight birdies and an eagle to reach 16-under 126, two shots clear of first-round leader, Portugal's Ricardo Santos, who's had rounds of 62 and 66.

Of his sterling effort, Hahn said, "My putter was hot today and I did not have to think - it was just a case of stepping up and stroking the ball. A couple of putts unexpectedly went in, like on the third hole from the fringe. I made a few putts you do not normally make and it turned into a great round.

"There was rain and it got a bit windy toward the end of my round, but the conditions suited me perfectly," added Hahn, who entered the tournament ranked 881st in the world. "If I got on a roll when I was younger, I would have started to think about it. Today, I managed to stay in the moment."

The second round was delayed 95 minutes by a rainstorm. Hahn went to the clubhouse to sit out the period, but was able to return and complete his 61.

England's Oliver Fisher fired an 8-under 63 to reach 129. The weather delay didn't seem to affect him. "I got off to a good start and then got called in on the fourth fairway," said Fisher. "I made two birdies straight after that, so the delay helped me a little bit. I went dry for a while mid-round and then finished with four birdies, so it was a good day."

Fisher noticed a different track after the weather break. "We had quit a lot of rain in half an hour, so it definitely softened the course a tad," he noted. "The ball was picking up a bit more mud than it was earlier in the day, but you could still score. The course handled the weather really well - the bunkers were dry and it was god after the rain - so credit to the green staff."

England's David Horsey shot a 64 and is in fourth at 130. Defending champion Darren Fichardt of South Africa posted a 67 and is seven strokes behind Hahn.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2014/tournamentid=2014011/leaderboard/index.html.