EAST LONDON, January 7, 2012 (AFP) - Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen was joined by fellow South African Tjaart van der Walt at the top of the leaderboard Saturday after three rounds of the Africa Open.
Title holder Oosthuizen took a two-stroke advantage into the penultimate round of the first 2012 European Tour event after a birdie-packed 62, but had to settle for a six-under-par 67 third time round the East London Golf Club layout.
Van der Walt followed his second-round 64 with a 65 and goes into the final round level with 2010 Open winner Oosthuizen on 198 -- 21-under-par on a part-links, part-parkland 6,190-metre course overlooking the Indian Ocean.
The race for the 158,500-euro first prize has developed into a battle between South Africa, England and Scotland with Swede Magnus Carlsson the lone 'outsider' among the top 12, who are separated by seven strokes.
Retief Goosen, the other Major winner in the field, occupies third place a stroke behind the leaders after a 66, followed by Englishman Danny Willett (65) on 200 and South African Richard Sterne (64) two shots further back.
Sterne returned the lowest round of the day on a course where a tight front nine is followed by a more spacious inward journey while Van der Walt, compatriots Darren Fichardt and Lyle Rowe and Willett carded a 65 each.
Seeking a first tournament triumph, Van der Walt made the perfect start with four consecutive birdies and added a further five while his sole blemish came with a bogey at the eighth.
"The golf ball does not know there are Major winners around so who can tell what may happen in the final round," said the golfer who has spent 16 trophy-less seasons on the professional circuit.
"I am controlling the ball as well as I have in a long time and not just from tee to green -- on the greens as well and that is a good sign for me," chuckled Van der Walt.
Oosthuizen, only the fourth South African to raise the Claret Jug after the late Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els, bogeyed 11 before rallying to birdie three of the final four holes.
"It was an elementary mistake," sighed the 29-year-old as he recalled the bogey. "Little chip outs seem easy but I erred in leaving it short of a tree for my approach to the green."
Sterne dealt ruthlessly with a course where the wind can wreak havoc by shooting seven birdies -- six on the outward nine -- and an eagle as he makes a comeback after missing much of last season through injury.
Leading and selected scores after third round of Africa Open on Saturday at par-73, 6,190-metre East London Golf Club (RSA unless noted):
198 - Tjaart van der Walt 69-64-65, Louis Oosthuizen 69-62-67
199 - Retief Goosen 65-68-66
200 - Danny Willett (ENG) 67-68-65
202 - Richard Sterne 69-69-64
203 - Jaco Van Zyl 71-65-67, Craig Lee (SCO) 68-67-68, Alastair Forsyth (SCO) 69-66-68
205 - Tyrone Ferreira 68-68-69, Richard Bland (ENG) 67-69-69, Magnus Carlsson (SWE) 69-66-70, Thomas Aiken 64-69-72
206 - Darren Fichardt 71-70-65, Lyle Rowe 73-68-65, Ruan de Smidt 69-70-67, Grant Muller 69-69-68, Adilson Da Silva (BRA) 69-69-68, Joshua Cunliffe 69-68-69, Tim Sluiter (NED) 68-69-69, Shaun Norris) 67-70-69, Phillip Price (WAL) 66-71-69, Benn Barham (ENG) 70-66-70, Matthew Baldwin (ENG) 72-64-70, Jaco Ahlers 65-68-73
207 - Danie van Tonder 70-70-67, Agustin Domingo (ESP) 68-71-68, Allan Versfeld 69-70-68, Doug McGuigan 70-69-68, Peter Karmis 68-70-69, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 69-66-72
Selected
208 - Garth Mulroy 68-72-68, George Coetzee 71-68-69
209 - Chris Wood (ENG) 69-71-69, David Howell (ENG) 68-69-72
210 - David Drysdale (SCO) 72-69-69, Steven O'Hara (SCO) 70-70-70