Stenson moves one ahead at halfway stage

South African Jaco van Zyl held second on his own on 10-under with a solid 68 on day two.

American Robert Streb holds third place on nine-under, with Aussie Marc Leishman in fourth on eight-under.

The form of Stenson, at number seven in the world rankings and highest-ranked player in the field, is ominous as he romped to a nine shot triumph in the 2008 staging of the event.

Van Zyl, playing together with Stenson after both players shot six-under 66 in the first round, hurried to finish amid darkening skies after a two-hour delay earlier in the day for a thunderstorm.

The pair had moved through nine holes before play was delayed, with Stenson falling off the pace with a level par opening nine while Van Zyl went out in two under.

But after the break, Stenson reeled off four birdies in five holes from the 11th hole to pull level with Van Zyl on 10 under.

After Van Zyl started off with two birdies on the homeward loop, pars followed including a crucial up-and-down on the par four 15th. There Van Zyl came up short with his approach, played an average chip to leave a downhill six-footer for par. The 13-time Sunshine Tour event winner, however, was able to glide the ball into the hole for a crucial save.

Stenson pulled ahead with a birdie on 17 to move to 11 under, while Van Zyl settled for a par.

Van Zyl is the only local at the top of the leaderboard, with the next best the trio of Thomas Aiken, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace in 12th place on two under at the halfway stage.

Starting off their rounds, Stenson and Van Zyl both birdied the first and while the Swede repeated the trick at the next, Van Zyl put his approach close and made an eagle to take a one-shot lead.

A dropped shot on the fourth had Stenson back level and after Van Zyl saw his fast birdie putt hit the hole and bounce up and out on the fifth, the 2013 Race to Dubai winner had the lead on his own.

But a poor approach on the sixth left Stenson playing a chip while stood in a bunker and he could only advance the ball a few feet, dropping a shot, and the lead was once again shared at eight under.

That was his first bogey of the week, but the second was not long coming on the next and once again Van Zyl was out in front on his own.

The 36-year-old made an excellent par save on the eighth, holing a 15-foot putt after finding the sand off the tee and, when Stenson made it three bogeys in a row after missing the green himself, the lead was two shots. - ANA