An eagle at the par-five 18th has put tournament favourite Ernie Els back in contention for the Dunhill Championship title at the par-72 Leopard Creek golf course on Saturday.
After a poor three-over-par round on Friday, Els appeared to have his work cut out, but thanks to a two-under-par 70 round on Saturday and no golfer able to draw away from the field, he now has a chance to claim top honours.
But he will need to find four shots on Englishman Neil Cheetham and three on ”old pro” David Frost. Both players shot a three-under 69 on Saturday with Cheetham now on eight-below 208 and Frost a further shot back after three rounds.
At six-under for the tournament lies 20-year-old South African Charl Schwartzel, with Englishman Oliver Whiteley at five-under. Then follows Els at four-under along with compatriots Michael Kirk and Warren Abery, and Scot Euan Little.
Cheetham believes that a great second shot at the par-four eighth saved his day.
”I felt that was the turning point for me. I pulled my tee-shot left into the bunker and had a blind second shot to the green.”
But he managed to strike a five-iron to the edge of the green and two-putted to save his par.
”That five-iron was the shot of the day for me. I could have dropped a couple at that hole and by saving par, it set the tone for the rest of the round.”
In the end, Cheetham did not drop a shot the whole round and managed three birdies — at six, 15 and the 18th. He should have held a two-shot lead but for a poor eagle putt at 18. After he ”crushed” it down the fairway, Cheetham hit his second shot of 175m with a seven-iron to within five feet of the hole.
”It was probably my worst putt in seven years,” commented Cheetham of his clumsy miss, ”but I can’t complain about my round. I missed a few easy putts but I also had some good up-and-downs.”
Frost, who has not been setting the fairways alight in recent months and has not won a tournament since the 1999 SA Open, appears to have found his touch this week. The 45-year-old fired a three-under 69 on Saturday in a consistent round that comprised four birdies — on holes two, 12, 13 and 18 — and a sole bogey on the par-four 11th.
”I spent last week with David Leadbetter in Orlando and we worked on a few fundamentals,” said Frost. ”But I never really had any expectations coming into this tournament and I don’t have any now.
”I try to focus on the present and not get ahead of myself. All I want to do tomorrow is play steady golf and try to keep the ball on the fairway.”
It certainly was not the most consistent of rounds for Els, with two birdies — at holes two and seven — a bogey at nine and a double bogey at the par-three fifth after landing in the water, making up his front nine.
But on the back nine, with a birdie at the par-four 10th and an eagle at the par-five 18th, Els finally steadied the ship.
”My eagle putt on 18 is the first I have made all week,” said Els. ”What has been so irritating is that I have had a lot of chances but I haven’t been able to capitalise on any of them.”
Schwartzel’s round comprised four birdies and two bogeys and he said he had been struggling with his driver.
”But I scrambled unbelievably well today and that helped a lot.”
He is also not too concerned about having Els on his tail come Sunday.
”We are all professional golfers so it had to happen sooner or later. But it should be a good experience,” added Schwartzel. — Sapa