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Sun City - Henrik Stenson and Jaco van Zyl had a frustrating day at the Gary Player Country Club trying to keep pace with Australian Marc Leishman, who romped to pole position in the Nedbank Golf Challenge with a superb third round six under par 66.
The big-hitting Leishman leads at 14 under 202, with Stenson one stroke back and local hope Van Zyl four off the pace.
Van Zyl got off to another flying start with back-to-back birdies, but had to fight to erase a quartet of bogeys. He did so in style, draining a 15m putt at the 18th for an even-par 72.
“I don’t feel like I’m out of it by any means, but to win, you kind of need a couple of lucky breaks and things need to turn around for me,” said Van Zyl.
“It was 36 degrees out there, it’s week six in a row for me and I’m fighting the swing a little bit; it’s just not quite on song... all of those things do start adding up at the end of the year. The last thing you want to do is be out there fighting your swing and fighting the golf course.
“Look, women trekked over the Drakensburg barefoot, so I don’t think a 72 is a train smash. I just have to turn things around. It’s a combination of will, determination and what the golfing gods throw at you on the day.”
American Robert Streb also shot a 72 to lie fourth on nine under, two clear of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and South African Branden Grace.
Louis Oosthuizen took the South African tally to three in the top 10 with a 68 that got him to six under, while Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Charl Schwartzel signed for a 67 to finish at four under alongside defending champion Danny Willett, Victor Dubuisson and Andy Sullivan.
Scores:
202 - Marc Leishman (AUS) 68 68 66
203 - Henrik Stenson (SWE) 66 67 70
206 - Jaco van Zyl (RSA) 66 68 72
207 - Robert Streb (USA) 69 66 72
209 - Branden Grace (RSA) 68 74 67, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 70 71 68
210 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 70 72 68
211 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 70 72 69, Chris Wood (ENG) 70 71 70, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70 68 73
212 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 71 74 67, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 71 73 68, Danny Willett (ENG) 67 75 70, Andy Sullivan (ENG) 71 71 70
213 - Russell Knox (SCO) 69 76 68, Byeong-hun An (KOR) 72 70 71, Scott Piercy (USA) 73 68 72, Ross Fisher (ENG) 69 71 73
214 - Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 69 77 68, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 73 69 72, Keegan Bradley (USA) 72 69 73, Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 72 69 73
215 - Shane Lowry (IRL) 74 71 70
216 - Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 71 72 73
217 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 70 72 75
218 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 75 71 72
219 - Webb Simpson (USA) 75 72 72
225 - Lee Westwood (ENG) 72 81 72
232 - Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 74 81 77, Steven Bowditch (AUS) 77 78 77
