Trio share lead into the weekend

Britain's Alastair Forsyth made the most of relatively calm morning conditions in the South African Open's second round on Friday, carding a three-under-par 69 to take the joint clubhouse lead.

The 27-year-old Scot was joined on seven-under 137 at the par-72 Erinvale course by South Africa's Nico van Rensburg and Craig Lile, who had rounds of 70 and 68 respectively.

However overnight leader Brett Rumford of Australia battled to a two-over 74 in the more difficult afternoon, slipping back into a tie for fourth at six under with Britain's Stephen Dodd, who fired a 73.

"Today was brutal," Rumford said after struggling in strong winds. "It just shows what a contrasting golf course this can be -- it was totally different to yesterday.

"It didn't just have teeth today, it had fangs."

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie also endured a trying day, returning a 78 to drop to two over par for the tournament, while defending champion Trevor Immelman moved up the leaderboard with a 69, finishing at four-under 140.

Montgomerie, using new clubs, balls, shoes and a caddie, ran up a quadruple bogey eight at the 17th where he drove out of bounds before taking three putts from 35 feet with his second ball.

"I thought there was a hazard where the ball landed, but the hazard line was a ditch and of course over the ditch was lost ball, so I had to go back to the tee," said the the seven-times European number one.

"I thought it was in the hazard, which at one stage it was, but it cleared the hazard and then I made six with my second ball."

Forsyth, winner of the 2002 Malaysian Open, produced a consistent, bogey-free round which he felt could have been better.

"I probably played better on Thursday, but I was never in any trouble today," he said.

"It is the type of course that offers you chances if you are playing well. I didn't take them all today."

His two birdies at the par-fives were excellent two-putts from over 60-feet and he made a clutch 15-footer on the 18th for par, which rescued his round.

"The putt I holed on the last was about the only time I had to rescue myself today," he added.

Resurgent Englishman Lee Westwood, among the favourites for this tournament after ending a massive slump in 2003 with victories in the BMW International and the Dunhill Links Championship, returned an even par 71 for a 36-hole total of one-under-par 143.

The halfway cut was made at three-over par 75.

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