Louis Oosthuizen and Tjaart van de Walt were tied for the Africa Open lead after a roller-coaster third-round on Saturday.
Although Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a blistering second round 62 to take the halfway lead on Friday, was outgunned by his pursuers-in-chief on Saturday, his face-saving finish did enable him to hold on to a share of his lead with unheralded fellow South African Tjaart van de Walt at 21-under.
Oosthuizen, who birdied his first three holes on moving Saturday at the storied East London Golf Course and added another at the 7th before dropping back from the lead with a bogey at the 11th, came storming back on the closing stretch of the this low-scoring round with three more birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th holes at catch and match Van der Walt at the last.( Left Handed Ping G20 Irons)
A fine effort, but at the end of Saturday's birdie-fest, Oosthuizen's 6-under 67 was over-shadowed by all four of his closest rivals, Van der Walt shooting a 65, South African icon Retief Goosen who is alone in third place at 20-under, a 66, and Englishman Danny Willett a 65 that moved him into 4th place at 19-under.
Richard Sterne, making an impressive first appearance after spending 11 months on the sidelines while recovering from a serious back injury, was only a shot further back in 5th place on 17-under after shooting a sparkling, best-of-the-day, 9-under 64.
Remarkably van der Walt's four under par for the first four holes was a shot worse than he managed on Friday, when he had a hole in one at the second and eagle three at the long next.( Left Handed Ping G20 Irons)
Both he and Oosthuizen converted short birdie putts at the seventh, but van der Walt lost his drive in the trees to the right at the next and despite a brave third after a penalty drop, made a bogey.
He birdied the next to turn in 32, and it was Oosthuizen's turn to produce a wild drive at the par five 11th with a resultant bogey, having needed four shots to find the green.
Van der Walt birdied the same hole to snatch the lead, alongside Retief Goosen, who had fashioned seven birdies as he charged to the top in his first 13 holes.
But two-time Major Champion Goosen could only par his final five holes, and it was Oosthuizen who produced most of the heroics on the closing stretch with his three birdies on the last four holes tying van der Walt on 21 under par for the lead after van de Walt also birdied the last.
In all Van der Walt made nine birdies and one bogey - just his fourth of the tournament - as he traded blows with a pair of major champions without ever stepping back or flinching.
"At the end of the day, the golf ball doesn't know that they are major champions," he said with a wry smile. "I've played Left Handed Ping G20 Irons at the highest level, I've never won majors or big events, but who knows what can happen this time."
Van der Walt, who turned professional in 1996, has, in fact, yet to win a tournament, and goes into the final round of this European and Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned event having to fight off the attentions of a wide band of men who have tasted more success than he has.
But things here this week are certainly looking good for him - and did for the whole of the third round.
"I do feel as if I am controlling the Left Handed Ping G20 Irons as well as I have in a long time - and not just from tee to green, but on the greens as well. And that's a good sign for me."
In fact, things went so smoothly for him that he was almost unable to recall the bogey he made on eight.
He rallied with three birdies in the closing four holes to get back into the lead, while Goosen battled the rising wind on his approach to 18, depositing it into a greenside bunker.
He made par, but the gap he left Oosthuizen and Van der Walt was enough for them to each make birdie and charge into the lead.
Behind them, England's Danny Willett bogeyed the 18th - his only slip of the day - on his way to an eight-under 65 and a three-round total of 19-under-par 200.
On Sunday Van der Walt is bound to feel the pressure as he seeks his first title, but he feels he is ready for it.
"Maybe I can hit it a little better and take the pressure off my Left Handed Ping G20 Irons tomorrow," he said. "It would be nice to knock it close and make some easy birdies."
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