South Africa’s Branden Grace carded a solid third-round four-under 68 to move into contention at the Nedbank Golf Challenge on Saturday.
Grace lies on five-under overall, three shots behind Scotland’s Scott Jamieson on eight-under who shot 67 on day three. Frenchman Victor Dubuisson fired a 71 to end on seven-under. Germany’s Martin Kaymer signed for a Saturday 69 to join Grace on five-under in a tie for third.
It has been 10 years since South Africa has tasted victory at Africa’s Major, when Trevor Immelman triumphed in 2007. The 29-year-old Grace, however, will be hoping to make a strong challenge for the title on Sunday.
“I’m a grinder, a fighter,” said Grace. “Yesterday wasn’t the best of stuff. The first nine didn’t really feel too good. Mind over matter, a little bit after that. I told myself that If I can get it to under par, I’m still in this tournament. And I knew I had to grind a good score out today.”
Indeed, he did grind that good score on Saturday. He made consecutive pars on his first four holes before dropping a shot on the par-five fifth hole. Birdies on the sixth and eighth holes made up for that drop but it was on the back nine that he played strongly. After turning in 35, Grace made back-to-back birdies on nine and 10, and again later on 14 and 15 to move up the leaderboard.
“I think five-under was my target,” he said. “But, I was obviously disappointed bogeying the last. I think that was my only poor shot I hit all day off the tee but those things happen but it’s still a good round. Tomorrow anything can happen so hopefully I can pull an Alex off tomorrow.”
He will take comfort in knowing – from last year’s experience when Alex Noren came from six shots behind to win this tournament – that a big comeback is quite possible.
The chase, however, will not be an easy one as Jamieson is also looking good going into the final round. Jamieson made three birdies on the front and two more on the back nine.
“I was much better on the greens today than I have been in the last couple of days,” said Jamieson. “I need a good week to get myself into Dubai next week, so that’s at the back of my mind as well. So, hopefully, I can just win the golf tournament and that will take care of itself.”
Forward-looking as he may be, Jamieson refuses to put pressure on himself ahead of the final round at the Gary Player Country Club and aims to draw on similar past experiences when he tees off on Sunday. “I think I’ve won from five behind and lost from six in front before, so the key is just not to panic and know I’m going to have some bad shots but there’s always going to be holes beyond to recover.”
Also in contention on Saturday was debutant Haydn Porteous whose five-under 67 third round took him to three-under for the week and in a share of fifth with Italy’s Francesco Molinari. Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel are two-under for the tournament and share the seventh spot with Matthieu Pavon of France, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, Scotland’s David Drysdale and Englishmen, Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood.
– African News Agency (ANA)
