South African Brandon Stone is drawing strength from a torrent of messages by athletes back home as he tries to end his nation’s longest major men’s golf title drought since 1994.
From rugby standouts to star cricketers, including A.B. de Villiers, South Africans have been giving the 25-year-old from Rustenburg who now lives in Pretoria a lift at the 100th PGA Championship.
“My phone did have a few text messages from not only golfers,” Stone said on Friday. “Cricketers and a few rugby guys are sending me a few motivational messages, showing me support.”
Photo: EPA
“It’s really nice to know that even know though we’re seven time zones away, people are cheering us on,” he added.
Stone fired a two-under-par 68 in Friday’s second round to stand on six-under 134 after 36 holes, four strokes off the pace at Bellerive Country Club.
“I feel very comfortable,” Stone said. “I’m playing very nicely, the rhythm has been spectacular all week and to be six-under going into the weekend is where I want to be.”
Stone, ranked 110th, said he often speaks with de Villiers, the long-time star batsman for the Proteas, who retired from international cricket in May.
“He’s an avid golf fan back home and obviously we live in the same area,” Stone said. “It was just a text saying he was glued to his TV screen for the whole weekend now.”
“It was in Afrikaans and my Afrikaans isn’t very good and it took me a little while to figure it out. Pretty much go out there and enjoy the moment and see what you can do come Sunday,” he added.
De Villiers is far from the only sports star sending well wishes as Stone tries to end a run of 24 major golf events without a South African winner.
Thanks to a host of young talent, it is the longest major men’s break without a South African champion since between Gary Player’s 1978 Masters triumph and when Ernie Els won his first major at the 1994 US Open — when Stone was only 14 months old.
Stone finds a sporting camaraderie in his homeland.
“South African golfers and cricketers tend to get along really well. Seems like they become more golf fans and cricket fans the moment they hang up their boots,” Stone said. “So basically the entire South African cricket team has been sending me good messages and a few rugby guys that I don’t think many guys will know.”
Thunderstorms halted play early on Friday with Gary Woodland in the lead with 10-under 130, breaking by one the PGA Championship record and tying the 36-hole score for all majors, but it was only good for a one-shot lead over Kevin Kisner and two ahead of Brooks Koepka.
Tiger Woods had three birdies through seven holes as he tried to get in range, finishing the day in a share of 23rd with three-under 70.
Additional reporting by AP
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