DESPITE a surging run of four birdies in the space of six holes, Simon Dyson was ruled out of the business half of the Africa Open.

The switch from the Middle East to South Africa has been far from profitable for the York-born ace.

He rounded off the desert section of the European Tour with successive top 20 finishes and more than 40,000 euros in prize money.

But that brace has been followed by a double dip as his bid for the Africa Open at the East London Club went the way of last week’s Joburg Open, where he missed the midway cut.

Dyson posted a healthier two-under-par 69 yesterday to follow on from his first round 72. He mixed five birdies with three bogeys, four of the nap hand carded in the last six holes of yesterday’s inward nine – but ultimately to no avail.

The runaway overnight leader was Ricardo Santos of Portugal who was 14-under after rounds of 62 and 66.