NORTH Yorkshire golf star Simon Dyson was roaring up the leaderboard in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg today.

The Malton and Norton ace, in his first event since joining the European Tour, was in blistering form as he put overnight leader Dean Robertson under tremendous pressure.

The 30-year-old Scot fired a brilliant 62, 10 under par, yesterday to set a new course record at Houghton Golf Club and claim a three-stroke lead over the field.

But the former Italian Open champion was unable to reproduce those fireworks again as Dyson, who shot a first round 69, and South African Des Terblanche ate into his lead.

Dyson picked up seven shots on his overnight score and looked like setting the clubhouse target.

But Robertson, who had dropped shots early on, managed to steady the ship with two birdies to be out in level-par 36 and when he added another on the 14th he had regained a lead with clubhouse leader Terblanche and Argentina's Roberto Gonzalez on 11 under after 17 holes.

Scotland's Alastair Forsyth was a further shot adrift in the clubhouse.

Dyson's hopes took a knock when he dropped a shot at the 17th to slip to nine under with a clutch of players - two strokes off the lead.

Updated: 11:57 Friday, January 19, 2001