SA duo shoot to third place

MATT Saulez and Malcolm Mitchell combined for one-under-par 141 to move into the top three in the third round of the 46th Copa Juan Carlos Tailhade in Argentina on Saturday.

Joey Savoie and Josh Walen carded respective rounds of 68 and 70 for a third round 138 to keep Canada on track for a third victory in the 22nd edition of the International Team Competition. The Canadian pair pushed their overall total to fourunder422.

Brazilians Herik Machado and Daniel Ishii posted 139 to remain in second, two off the pace, but the South African pair leapfrogged Argentina to move into third place on 435. Saulez didn’t make a very promising start, but the Durban Country Club player caught fire just before the turn at Los Lagartos Country Club and racked up five birdies and an eagle at the par-five 15th to finish in red numbers.

“It was definitely a much better day on the course for both of us,” said Saulez. “I had a very up-anddown start with bogeys at one, five and six and a double at seven. I was five over through eight holes, but I managed to pull it back to one-under playing the last 10 holes in sixu He planned to carry the momentum through to yesterday’s final round.

Mitchell, from Kloof, offset a trio of bogeys with birdies at two, sixth and 13 for an even-par 71. “I feel like I’m started to settle into my own skin again,” said Mitchell, a two-time winner at home this season. “It took a while to adjust, but ... Matt and I are both starting to feel more relaxed and at home here in Pilar, and we both feel that we could go low in the final round to put some pressure on the two teams ahead of us.”

Home course advantage definitely has its benefits. Argentina’s Federico Shin maintained his lead in the championship with the low round of the tournament on Saturday. Shin fired birdies at two, six, 16 and 18 and eagled the par-five 15th for a flawless six-under-par 65. — SuperSport.com