American Brianna Navarrosa turned a weather interruption into momentum, using a 45-minute delay to grab a meal before firing a second-round 69 to share the clubhouse lead at the Joburg Ladies Open on Friday.
Navarrosa sits at 11-under par alongside France's Celine Herbin, who posted a 67, after an afternoon of rain forced the suspension of the second round at Randpark Golf Club. The round will be completed Saturday morning.
France's Camille Chevalier trails by one stroke at 10-under after signing for a 66 earlier in the day. South African Casandra Alexander leads the home contingent at six-under following her second round of 71.
The compact but powerful Navarrosa relished the aggressive opportunities presented by Randpark's Firethorn course, particularly after the weather delay refreshed her approach.
"You can be aggressive into these greens, which are really receptive because of the weather. So being able to throw my irons and wedges right at the pins has been really nice," she said.
"I think the delay felt like a fresh start for me. I was just really hungry, so coming in during that weather delay really helped me. But if you had told me I'd play like this in this weather I would've been surprised. My main goal was just to stay patient, keep my head straight and take it one shot at a time. I'm excited for the weekend. I'll just put it all out there on the weekend," Navarrosa explained.
Herbin has also embraced the course conditions that suit her attacking style of play. The experienced French player, in her 15th year on the Ladies European Tour, has found the setup to her liking.
"I really enjoy this course and the greens are running so pure. I like to be aggressive and go for the flags. But I've been working hard. It's my 15th year fulltime on the Ladies European Tour and I like to work hard to still be competitive," said Herbin.
The leaderboard remains fluid with several players still to complete their second rounds when play resumes Saturday morning. The weather-softened conditions have created prime scoring opportunities for the field.
With the weekend rounds ahead, both co-leaders will look to maintain their aggressive approach on a course that has rewarded bold shot-making. The completion of the second round Saturday morning will set the stage for what promises to be an exciting finish at Randpark Golf Club.