By Jason Humphries
EAST LONDON, South Africa Jan 7 (Reuters) – Defending
champion Louis Oosthuizen and journeyman Tjaart van der Walt
were locked at the top the Africa Open leaderboard on 21-under
par after a see-saw battle in the third round on Saturday.
South African Oosthuizen, the overnight leader, closed the
day with a six-under par round of 67 while the 37-year-old Van
der Walt, who began the day two shots off the lead, carded a 65
with both men picking up just a single bogey.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, and Van der
Walt, who has plied his trade on the PGA, European and Asian
Tours without winning a professional tournament, spent much of
the day locked in battle with the third member of the final
three-ball, compatriot Retief Goosen.
But Goosen could only par the 18th hole after his second
shot found a greenside bunker, while Oosthuizen and Van der Walt
both birdied. Goosen ended the round one shot off the pace after
a seven-under 66.
Wind finally blew in the afternoon at the coastal course but
Oosthuizen said that if the weather remained good it would take
a very low score to win the tournament.
“If it’s the same weather then I expect 27, 28-under to
win,” he told reporters.
“Everyone will know that there are a lot of birdies out
there. If there is no wind and you are four behind it’s going to
be really tough to catch the leaders because they are also going
to be scoring.”
Briton Danny Willett (65) was in fourth place on 19-under
while the day’s lowest round belonged to South African Richard
Sterne who fired a nine-under-par 64 to move to 17-under and
fifth place heading into the final day.
Van der Walt told reporters: “I’ve been close (to winning)
many times but every time there seems to be a top-ranked player
with a stop sign in front of me. But I can compete on the last
day. Who knows what can happen if I keep knocking on the door.”
(Editing by Dave Thompson. (To comment on this story email
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