Trevor Fisher Jnr is in pole position to continue the home dominance at the Africa Open after a brilliant nine under par 63 handed him a two shot lead over Matt Ford at East London Golf Club.
With South Africans winning this event on all five previous stagings, the 35 year old could continue that trend on Sunday following a third round that elevated him to 16 under overall.
Again battling the wind, Fisher Jnr’s flawless performance contained seven birdies, including five in his last eight holes, and an eagle on the third.
Fisher Jnr, who was tied for fourth in the inaugural event in 2010, said: "I played solid, but didn’t expect a 63 in such tough conditions. I’m delighted with my round today. My up and down on the first hole was a great starter and then I made eagle on the third after sinking a long putt."
On his approach to his final round, Fisher Jnr - yet to win on the European Tour - added: "I’ll play my own game and take it shot for shot. I’ll try not to get ahead of myself too much, because that is the challenge in itself when you’re leading an event. I’ll put my head down and try tomorrow."
Ford had appeared to be in line to become the first foreign player to win the tournament when he sat pretty at the top after seven holes, his third birdie repelling an early charge from Jaco van Zyl, who had cut the gap to one with an eagle on the third.
However, momentum started to swing as Ford saw his three shot lead evaporate on the par four eighth, completing a double bogey when Eduardo de la Riva birdied.
The former’s approach found the sand and, after over-hitting into the rough, he failed to make it up the hill and required six shots to complete the 366 yard hole.
But De la Riva bogeyed the ninth to drop off the pace and although Fisher Jnr moved level with Ford on two occasions, producing a monster putt on the 13th, the latter regained a one shot advantage with a gain on the 12th.
Ford lost the lead following a bogey on the 14th, though, Fisher Jnr taking over at the top with a gain on the 16th, his second in a row.
After Ford missed a birdie putt on the 15th, Fisher Jnr required only three shots on the par four 410 yard 18th to finish in style.
And Ford could have been further adrift had he not holed a brilliant putt for par on the 16th, meaning the Englishman had to settle for a three under 69, his worst round of the week.
Whether or not the 36 year old can claim a maiden title on Sunday, his performance in East London represents a remarkable turnaround after he faced the prospect of working as a postman until advancing through November’s Qualifying School at the tenth attempt.
Ford said: "I hit a couple of poor shots, but stuck to my routines and that helped me bounce back. I felt the pressure of leading and the last group, but it was good experience.
"I try to keep myself relaxed and patient out there. You have to take the positives out and try to finish it off. All of the good work could be pointless if I don’t play well tomorrow, because it’s a four round tournament."
Van Zyl, tied for second at last week’s Joburg Open, continued his fine form and was four shots off the pace following a four under 68.
The 13 time Sunshine Tour winner, who has always performed well at this event, said: "I got off to a flying start - three-under after three holes - and thought ‘here we go’. I hit it close on the fourth and then missed and then made bogey at the ninth, which put a dampener on things. I got things rolling again, but couldn’t quite convert my opportunities."
Mortem Orum Madsen was one of four players two shots further back after taking advantage of an early start to produce a brilliant eight under par 64.
The Dane would have only been five off Fisher Jnr had he not dropped a shot at the ninth.
Spaniards Jorge Campillo and De la Riva plus Englishman John Parry also sit on 10 under, one clear of Joakim Lagergren and Mark Tullo, from Sweden and Chile respectively.
