Johannesburg, Los Angeles: Former major winners Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke and Retief Goosen were eliminated from the South African Open when the storm-hit second round finished on Saturday.
The cut was 143, one under for two rounds at Glendower Golf Club in eastern Johannesburg, leaving world No. 2 Rory McIlroy as the sole ex-major champion still in contention.
The 27-year-old from Northern Ireland defied severe back pain to shoot a second-round 68 on Friday and trail halfway leader Graeme Storm of England by three strokes.
Play was suspended late Friday by a storm with a few golfers still on the course and they completed their rounds early on Saturday.
Among those was Clarke from Northern Ireland, who slumped to a seven-bogey 78 after beginning the tournament with a two-under 70.
The 2011 British Open champion struggled on the par fours, dropping a shot at six of them over the 6,942-metre (7,100-yard) parkland course.
Four-time major champion Els of South Africa added a 70 to his opening 74 for a 144 total, missing a chance to play the final two rounds by just one shot.
Compatriot Goosen, twice a major title-holder, recovered from a disastrous eight-over 80 Thursday to card a 71, but the damage had been done in the opening round.
Faldo, returning to the European Tour at the age of 59, was unable to replicate his excellent two-under 70 start, and a 75 meant he missed the cut by two shots.
A double-bogey six at the fifth, sandwiched between two bogeys, proved costly for the winner of six majors, who combines playing golf with commentating on it.
Storm led by two shots from South Africans Trevor Fisher junior and Jbe Kruger and American Peter Uihlein.
McIlroy, who has won every major bar the US Masters, is among five contenders a further stroke back.
Justin Thomas closed with an eagle for the second straight day as he followed rare 59 with a second-round 64 to extend his lead to five shots at the halfway stage of the Sony Open in Los Angeles.
Thomas didn’t let up on Friday after becoming the seventh and youngest player in USPGA Tour history to shoot a 59.
He rolled in an eight-foot put on the 18th at Waialae in Honolulu, Hawaii, to get into the history books again by recording the tour’s record for lowest 36-hole total of 123.
“It’s cool,” Thomas said. “Just like yesterday, anytime you can get your name in the record books is awesome.”
The 23-year-old American is at 17-under and has a five-stroke lead over fellow American Gary Woodland, who shot back-to-back 64s in the first two rounds.
“I really hit a lot of quality shots today,” Thomas said. “I obviously had a great day. To finish with an eagle was huge.
