Monday 16 March 2015 18:52, UK
England's David Horsey and Scotland's Craig Lee are part of a six-way tie for the lead after the third round of the Tshwane Open in South Africa.
Lee carded a four-under-par 66, the joint lowest round of the day, to set the clubhouse target on nine-under and looked on as none of the later starters were able to overhaul him at Pretoria Country Club.
The Scot opened with a bogey at the par-four first, but ended strongly with three gains on his back nine to head in to the final round level with Wallie Coetsee, George Coetzee, Trevor Fisher Jnr, David Horsey and Adrian Otaegui.
“I’m delighted,” Lee said. “It’s one of those courses where you can go quite low as guys have done, but it doesn’t take much to be offline and then you really get punished around here.
“To knock it around in four under today was a great score. I’m still making a couple of silly mistakes, but all-in-all I’m delighted with my game; it’s getting better and better and we’re almost in a position where I’m completely happy with it."
Horsey held the outright lead after three birdies and one bogey in his first 12 holes, but bogeyed the 17th to card a second consecutive 69, level with overnight leader Otaegui.
Otaegui, who is a protege of former Masters champion and 2012 Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, was two clear after a second round 62 but dropped his first shot on the front nine all week when he bogeyed the third.
The 22-year-old responded with close range gains at the sixth and eighth and looked in position to pick up another shot on the par-five ninth when his second shot bounded through the green, only to duff two chips and eventually card a bogey six.
Three further dropped shots on the back nine, including at the 16th where his tee-shot flew over the green, saw the Spaniard end the third round two-over.
Last week's Africa Open winner Trevor Fisher Jnr recovered from four bogeys in his first seven holes to end his third round one-under, alongside fellow South Africans Wallie Coetsee and George Coetzee.
Coetzee, who would have taken the outright lead had he not three-putted the third, said :“It was a bit of a battle out there to get the putts to go in. I was patient enough and luckily I got the one on the last.
“It’s lucky that no one has run away with it just yet. I’ll try to keep posting good rounds and hopefully I produce a really good one tomorrow and win.
There are 15 players within three shots of the lead, setting up the potential for a thrilling finish on Sunday.
Watch the final round on Sunday from 10am live on Sky Sports 4 – your home of golf.
