Briton Oliver Wilson joined South Africa’s James Kingston in the lead midway through the third round of the South African Open at Pearl Valley on Saturday.
Kingston began the day on two-under-par and a solid outward nine of one-under-par 35 took him to three under. Wilson, three groups ahead, had surged to four-under-par through 10 holes to share the lead.
South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, putting a difficult year behind him, or Andrew McLardy, joint second overnight, could also put pressure on the lead as they were both one-under-par overall after 10 holes of the third round.
Welshman Kyron Sullivan, who was tied for second overnight one stroke back, had also climbed into a share of the lead with three birdies in his first five holes, but he then had a problem off the tee on the par-four sixth and recorded a double-bogey six.
The real action on the third day came from further down the field where South Africa’s American-based Garth Mulroy fired an eight-under-par 64 to soar into third position on two-under-par, and Louis Oosthuizen shot a six-under 66 to finish on level-par in a tie for sixth.
Australia’s Greg Norman, the former world number one, bogeyed the par-five 13th hole to slip back to level-par for his round and tied for 10th overall.
Twice major champion Retief Goosen went through the first nine holes in two-under-par 34 to climb into the top 15, five strokes off the lead. – Reuters