Defending champ Oosthuizen rides 62 to halfway lead at African Open

Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen fired an brilliant 11-under-par 62 Friday to take a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Africa Open. The event, co-sanctioned with southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour, is the opening event on the 2012 European Tour schedule.

The 2010 British Open champion began the day five shots off the pace, but carded nine birdies and an eagle to move to the top of the leaderboard on 15 under ahead of a quartet of fellow South Africans.

The world No. 40 shot five birdies and an eagle over the front nine and added four birdies after the turn, picking up crucial shots on the 17th and 18thon the par-73 East London layout.

Overnight leader Thomas Aiken had to settle for a 4-under 69 to lie level on 13 under with Tjaart Van Der Walt, Retief Goosen and Jaco Ahlers. Van Der Walt had the best round of the four with a 64, while Goosen and Ahlers went round in 68.

"I was aggressive on the putter," said Oosthuizen. "I went about 6 feet past a few times and I had to make those for par.

"The last one I made on the eighth would have been 8-10 feet past, but it hit the middle of the cup," he explained. "But I was aggressive because yesterday I left a few putts short and you're not going to hit it that far past on these greens."

On his eagle-2 on the sixth, where he had a double bogey on Thursday, he added: "It was a lot of concentration on the tee shot because I hit the 3-wood in the bush yesterday. It was a 3-wood again off the tee and I didn't want to take any other club because I wanted to show myself that I can do it.

"So I hit it on the green at the back," he added. "I saw the line of the putt, but I wasn't sure so I asked my caddie and he saw exactly the same line. I hit a perfect putt and it went straight in the middle of the hole, but it was a very long putt."

Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Danny Willett and Scottland’s Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee are in a five-way tie for sixth on 11 under with Sweden's Magnus Carlsson.