Birdie barrage puts American Hahn top at Africa Open

EAST LONDON, South Africa (Reuters) - Little-known American John Hahn rocketed to the top of the Africa Open second-round leaderboard after a blistering inward half of 28 earned a course record equaling 10-under-par 61 on Friday. The 24-year-old Hahn, who started his round at the ninth, finished in scintillating fashion with six birdies and an eagle in his last nine holes. A 95-minute delay caused by torrential morning rain meant the round was not completed on schedule and play is due to resume at 0715 local time on Saturday. "I just got the putter hot early and it stayed hot all day. It turned into a good one," world number 881 Hahn told reporters after completing a 16-under tally of 126. "I hit a lot of fairways and greens and the greens I missed early in the round I got up and down. I made a couple of putts you don't normally make and had a couple of unexpected ones go in." Hahn's inward 28 was one stroke shy of the European Tour record. Overnight leader Ricardo Santos of Portugal carded a 66 to tuck in two strokes behind Hahn on 128. Oliver Fisher (63) was in third place on 129, one ahead of fellow Briton David Horsey (64). (Reporting by Nick Said in Cape Town; editing by Tony Jimenez; nick.said@thomsonreuters.com +27832722948 Messaging nick.said.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; To sign up for our Global Sports Forum chatroom, click on https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/global_sports_forum)