Spanish holidaymaker Pablo Martin fired a nine-under 63 Friday to take a four-stroke lead with a halfway total of 131 in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Malalane. Not bad for a 23-year-old from Malaga who came to South Africa with animals on his mind rather than eagles and birdies at the par-72 Leopard Creek Golf Club bordering the Kruger National Park. Martin finished on a high with an eagle three thanks to a 10-foot putt in a round that included eight birdies and just one blip, a bogey on the par-four eighth at a South African and European tour co-sanctioned event. Former champion and local favorite Ernie Els improved one shot on his opening round with a 67 and shared second place in the one-million-euro tournament with Italian Edoardo Molinari, who fired a 69. Argentine Ariel Canete, Swede Pelle Edberg, South African Charl Schwartzel and compatriot and first-round leader Ulrich van den Berg are on 136, five strokes adrift of Martin. A group of 10 on 138 includes defending champion Richard Sterne of South Africa, who sprang back into contention with a 66 in the cooler morning conditions. “I came here with my sister to see the animals,” explained Martin after his sizzling round on a course designed by South African golf legend Gary Player with water features containing crocodiles and hippos. “Having seen the course on TV I thought why not play it as well. I really did not expect much but so far so good,” said the Spaniard who made European tour history two years ago by winning the Estoril Open as an amateur. Van den Berg attributed his opening-round 64 to red-hot putting and Martin revealed a similar tale after a round in which he needed just 25 putts, a career best. Although Els, whose appearance at Malalane in the eastern Mpumalanga province will be the only one of the South African season, claimed eight birdies he was annoyed at conceding three bogeys. “They were really very soft bogeys - a couple of three putts and a basic up-and-down on the seventh that I did not make,” said the Johannesburg-born winner of three ‘major' titles. The halfway cut fell at one-under 143 and among the casualties was 2007 Dunhill Championship winner John Bickerton of England, despite a hole in one at the fifth. Griffin leads in Australia In Sydney, Australia's Matt Griffin shot a three-under-par 68 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Australian PGA Friday. First round leader Han Min-kyu, who fired 11 birdies and two bogeys in Thursday's first round in a course record nine-under par at the Hyatt Regency resort course in Queensland, crashed to a four-over par 75 Friday. Despite his poor round South Korean Han is still in a tie for fifth, a stroke behind second-placed Australian trio Stuart Appleby (69), Jason Norris (67) and Geoff Ogilvy (66), who are one shot behind Griffin. “It's pretty exciting,” Griffin said of his one-shot lead at seven-under par 135. “To be in the final groups at a big tournament in Australia, probably since I was about five has been my dream so to be able to do that will be a lot of fun.” Australia's Robert Allenby, seeking his fourth Australian PGA title, shot 68 and was tied for eighth on four-under par. He could have been closer had he not made a double-bogey on the third hole when he was forced to strip down to his underwear. Allenby, whose second shot landed at the edge of a water hazard, took off his shoes, socks and then trousers to play the third shot, which then landed less than a meter up the hill.
