He leads Nathan Kimsey, who is on nine-under-par 131. Laporta, chasing history as he looks to become the first Italian to win the South African Open, said the host nation feels like his second home, having previously lived in Johannesburg, and he is looking forward to a strong weekend. “I like playing in South Africa. It’s been my second home for a long time. This course actually reminds me a lot more of the Johannesburg courses. It’s tough, the fairways are tight and there’s a lot of rough, so you have to hit it straight. I like it. I’m looking forward to the weekend. “I’m sure the fans will cheer for the South Africans. But South Africans are always fair and it’s always good to play in front of them. “My tee shots were good. On this golf course, if you hit your tee shots straight you have a lot of opportunities,” said Laporta (via Sunshine Tour). Having opened with a 66 on Thursday, Laporta dropped just a single shot in his second round on Friday. His 64 featured seven birdies, including four in a row at the second, third, fourth and fifth, and a solitary bogey at the eighth. After turning in 32, he added further birdies at the 10th, 11th and 17th for a flawless inward 32. Second-placed Kimsey carded rounds of 66 and 65 and is also looking forward to the weekend. “My game’s been good and I’m glad I could put myself in contention here,” he said (via Sunshine Tour). Dean Burmester leads the South African charge in third place on eight-under-par 132 following rounds of 65 and 67. Hennie du Plessis climbed the leaderboard with a brilliant seven-under-par 63, setting a new course record at Stellenbosch. He picked up 10 birdies and three bogeys during an impressive round. He shares fourth place with Joe Dean and Herman Loubser on seven-under-par 133. “I feel like my game has been trending for the last month or so, and I’ve focused all of my preparation on this incredible tournament,” said Du Plessis (via Sunshine Tour).