Larrazabal leads Dunhill

● A brilliant birdie chip was the highlight for Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal yesterday as he maintained a three-shot lead after three rounds at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in SA.

The 36-year-old from Barcelona underclubbed off the tee at 12 and his shot fell well short of the green, leaving him in danger of dropping a shot in 37C heat.

But his chip curved after landing on the green and rolled into the hole for one of five birdies in his two-under 70, which gave him an overall 11-under-par total of 205.

Wil Besseling of the Netherlands, ordinarily a second-tier Challenge Tour competitor who was invited to play in the opening event of the 2020 European Tour season, also carded a 70 to lie second on eight-under.

A bogey six on the final hole left South African Branden Grace third after a 71 at the Leopard Creek Country Club, which borders the Kruger National Park wildlife reserve.

South African Zander Lombard (69) and

Marcus Armitage (71) share fourth, six shots behind four-time European Tour winner Larrazabal, whose last title was four years ago.

Among those on four-under is Swede Joel Sjoholm, whose 68 was the lowest round of the day over the picturesque 6,627m layout.

Sjoholm birdied eight of his first 13 holes before the surge came to a halt and he finished disappointingly with a bogey on 16 and a double bogey on 18.

Though four-time Dunhill Championship winner Charl Schwartzel also trails Larrazabal by seven strokes, he may pose a threat.

The 2011 US Masters winner, once ranked sixth in the world, is playing his first tournament since being sidelined last April by a wrist injury.

His 70 included five birdies and three bogeys, and a final round in conditions which are expected to be eight degrees cooler could generate excitement if the pacesetters falter.