King Louis reigning supreme in Joburg
Louis Oosthuizen will take a three-shot lead into today’s final round of the South African Open after firing a battling 67 on day three in Johannesburg.
The 2010 Open champion entered the weekend two shots behind fellow South African Charl Schwartzel, but the 2011 Masters winner will now have to do the chasing after a disappointing 72.
Oosthuizen moved to 14-under-par at Randpark Golf Club, with England’s Matt Wallace and Zambian world No. 1,330 Madalitso Muthiya at 11-under alongside Schwartzel.
Oosthuizen holed a long putt for birdie on the first and capitalised on the par-five fourth before handing the shot straight back on the next.
An excellent approach into the sixth helped him turn in 33 and he completed a hat-trick of birdies on par-5s as he got up and down from bunkers on the 12th and 14th before birdieing the parthree 15th from 15 feet for a fourshot lead.
A bogey after finding sand off the tee at the par-three 17th removed some of the gloss, but Oosthuizen was pleased with his day’s work.
“It was tough again but I played well,” he said. “Eighteen more holes of good golf and I just need to take it one shot at a time.”
Schwartzel recovered from bogeys on the first and third with a birdie on the 12th, while Wallace carded a 68 as he looks for a fourth win of 2018.
Muthiya overcame two doublebogeys in a level-par 71, with Scot Robert Mcintyre and four-time Major champion Ernie Els then in a group of eight players six shots off the lead.