Christiaan Bezuidenhout opens up five-shot lead after day three of South African Open
In-form Christiaan Bezuidenhout surges five clear of Dylan Frittelli and Jamie Donaldson as he looks to follow up last week's victory at Leopard Creek with another victory in his homeland
Saturday 5 December 2020 18:04, UK
Christiaan Bezuidenhout put himself in prime position to claim back-to-back wins on home soil after opening up a five-shot lead at the South African Open.
A composed five-under 67 in the third round at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City lifted the red-hot Bezuidenhout to 15 under, while overnight joint-leader Jamie Donaldson was unable to keep up with his playing-partner after making a series of mistakes around the turn.
Two birdies over the first five holes earned Donaldson the outright lead before Bezuidenhout hit back with birdies at six and seven, and the Welsh veteran then dropped three shots in a damaging four-hole stretch.
Bezuidenhout's birdie at 10 extended his lead just as his fellow South African Dylan Frittelli had charged into contention with birdies at the eighth, 10th and 11th - the same three holes that Donaldson bogeyed.
Donaldson stopped the rot when he matched Bezuidenhout's birdie at 15, only for the 2014 Ryder Cup star to err again at the short 16th, while Frittelli was forced to take a penalty drop from the deep rough at the last following a wild drive and closed with a six to finish on 10 under.
That proved enough to earn a place in Sunday's final group with Bezuidenhout, whose decision to lay up at the par-five 18th paid off when he almost holed his third and left himself a mere tap-in for his sixth birdie of another impressive day.
Last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship winner will go into the final round with a commanding advantage over Frittelli and Donaldson, who also birdied the last to salvage a level-par round of 72.
"I'm really happy to be in this position," said Bezuidenhout. "I've played three solid rounds of golf and have stuck to my game plan by not taking the golf course on and just keeping it in play.
"This is my fourth week in a row, but I've been sleeping well and my body is holding up quite well. I'm just trying to manage myself. I just need to hold up for another 24 hours. But it's amazing to be in this position."
JC Ritchie produced a sensational barrage of birdies on the front nine, reeling off five in a row to race to the turn in 30 before another at the 11th got him to 10 under.
The world No 203 lost ground with bogeys at 12 and 14, but he did manage a four at the long last to close on nine under alongside Dean Burmester, who mixed five birdies with four bogeys in his 71.
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