Simon Dyson heads home early from South African event (From Gazette & Herald)

Simon Dyson heads home early from South African event

3:15pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in Sport

NORTH Yorkshire golfer Simon Dyson withdrew from the Tshwane Open in South Africa last weekend after bad weather curtailed his second round.

Dyson, who carded a first-round 77, was three under par after 16 holes of his second round when rain and the threat of lightning saw play suspended.

With little hope of making the cut, the Malton & Norton Golf Club star and several other overseas players were permitted to withdraw and catch early flights home.

The 35-year-old now takes a break from competitive action as World Golf Championships, for which he has not qualified this year, take the limelight.

His next event is likely to be the Malaysian Open on March 21.

Dyson, the world number 83, had fought back spiritedly from his dismal five-over opening round total on day two, being far more in command of the circuit at the Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate complex.

With two holes still to complete before the elements waded in, he was three under par for the day as he and almost a quarter of the field waited to reach the halfway mark of the European Tour competition.

From the outset, the Malton & Norton ace was in better touch.

He birdied holes two and three and picked up more shots on 11 and 15 with just one bogey in between, at the par-four 13th.

Dyson had been in the doldrums on the opening day, however, on his return to European Tour duty.

He carded his worst round of the year – a five-over-par 77 – that left him no fewer than 12 shots off the clubhouse lead, which was posted by one of his playing partners for the first two rounds, South Africa’s Darren Fichardt.

Whereas the leader rattled in eight birdies with one dropped shot, Dyson, starting at the 10th hole, was immediately in arrears with a bogey. Another bogey followed on the 14th.

He picked up a shot on the 16th but was back to two-over with a bogey on the par-four 18th. The round collapsed even more on the inward nine with bogeys on holes one, four and six to leave him near the foot of the field.

Yorkshire’s Danny Willett tied for fifth as the tournament was won by South African Dawie van der Walt.