Mark Tullo’s good form continued as the Chilean joined overnight leader Charl Coetzee at the top of the Tshwane Open leaderboard as the third round resumed after a suspension.
A storm had forced an early finish on Friday and, with the second round concluded first thing this morning, there was a further delay of one hour 55 minutes with the leaders 12 holes into their third rounds.
The 35 year old Tullo, whose rookie European Tour campaign in 2011 ended with the heartache of losing his card by just €1,277, returned via last season’s Challenge Tour and was fifth in the Africa Open a fortnight ago.
A shot behind Coetzee after the second round was completed this morning, Tullo registered a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth and gained another shot at the tenth to take the outright lead.
South African Coetzee was in no mood to surrender his chances of a first professional victory, however, and birdies at the tenth and 12th drew him level on 15 under par.
Coetzee’s compatriots Dawie Van Der Walt and Darren Fichardt, the first round leader, were two adrift on 13 under as the South African contingent looked to make it five wins from six events co-sanctioned by The European Tour and Sunshine Tour this season.
After almost two hours off the course the players returned and Coetzee ran up a bogey five at the 13th, but birdied the short next to rejoin Tullo.
