JOHANNESBURG, January 14, 2012 (AFP) - Richard Finch scored a hole in one as he and George Coetzee joined Robert Rock at the top of Joburg Open leaderboard Saturday while reigning US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel missed the cut.
Englishman Finch got his ace at 12 on the tougher east layout in a two-course championship en route to a six-under-par 66 that also included five birdies and a bgoey as the storm-battered second round finished half a day late.
"It was my second ace in this country as I made one at the South African Open at few years ago and got another during the Johnnie Walker championship in Gleneagles," boasted Finch.
South African Coetzee, a rising star boosted by four top-three 2011 European Tour finishes, snatched six birdies and dropped one shot in his 67 on the east course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
Rock, who completed his second-round 67 Friday over the par-71 west course, compatriot Finch and Coetzee are on 132 -- one stroke ahead of South Africans Retief Goosen, Branden Grace and Jbe' Kruger in the 1.3-million-euro event.
Schwartzel, who was hoping for better than a three-under 68 over the gentler west track Friday, totalled 140 after a disappointing level-par opening round, missed the cut by one stroke.
He was seeking a third consecutive Joburg Open title and a place in the record books beside Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Tiger Woods and Ian Woosnam as a three times in a row winner of the same European Tour event.
Leading clubhouse scores Saturday after incomplete third round of Joburg Open over par-72, 6,942-metre east course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club (RSA unless noted):
203 - Andrew Parr (CAN) 70-69-64, Dawie Van der Walt 70-66-67
204 - Danny Willett (ENG) 69-67-68
205 - Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 70-67-68, Trevor Fisher jnr 68-68-69, Jaco van Zyl 67-69-69, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 70-66-69, Marc Warren (SCO) 66-69-70, Scott Jamieson (SCO) 68-67-70
206 - David Drysdale (SCO) 65-72-69, Reinier Saxton (NED) 64-73-69, Warren Abery 66-72-68, Magnus Carlsson (SWE) 70-66-70, Thomas Aiken 68-68-70
207 - Matthew Nixon (ENG) 70-67-70, Julien Quesne (FRA) 65-72-70, Ulrich van den Berg 68-68-71, Jean Hugo 68-67-72
Note: third round to be completed early Sunday ahead of final round