Louis aims to be king of the swingers once again
Home favourite Louis Oosthuizen fired a bogey-free 64 yesterday to boost his hopes of back-toback South African Open titles in Johannesburg.
The 2010 Open champion shot seven birdies to hold a one-shot advantage over England’s Marcus Armitage, who raced through the field with a stunning nine-underpar 62 taking him to 14-under.
Oosthuizen could become the first player to successfully defend this title since fellow South African Trevor Immelman 16 years ago.
The 37-year-old, who is chasing a 10th European Tour victory, holed a 15-footer on the second, made another birdie on the third, and completed his hat-trick with the help of a delicate chip on the fourth.
Oosthuizen turned in 31 after a seven-foot putt at the ninth and added birdies at 11, 13 and 14 on the back nine.
“Getting my name on the trophy again would really mean the world to me,” said Oosthuizen. “Defending it and being the host for the week would make it extra special.
“It was good, it was solid. I gave myself lots of opportunities for birdies and the putter was a lot better.”
Salford-born Armitage clearly has a taste for the Firethorn Course at Randpark Golf Club having carded a bogey-free 65 on day one.
Armitage, who regained his card at the Qualifying School having first made his way onto the European Tour in 2016, climbed 42 places with a round of two eagles, six birdies and just a single dropped shot.
The 32-year-old’s effort would have been a course record had preferred lies not been in place.
“That’s why we play golf for those days, it was just magic,” Armitage said.
“I holed a nice little wedge on three and it just went from there.”
Jaco Ahlers is one shot adrift of Armitage after making six birdies and three bogeys in a round of 68.
A five-strong group on 12-under contains England’s Andy Sullivan, who carded a round of 67, and a quartet of South Africans – Jayden Schaper, Branden Grace, Jacques Blaauw and Martin Rohwer.
Schaper was the overnight leader and the 18-year-old amateur stayed in contention with a two-under-par 69.
The two Scots to make the halfway cut, Connor Syme and Marc Warren, are both very much in the thick of things heading into today’s final round as they sit at 10-under-par.
Warren fired a very impressive six-under-par 65 to climb the leaderboard and get to within five shots of Oosthuizen’s leading mark.
Syme shot a two-under 69 to be alongside his fellow Scot.