Tom Vaillant will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the Nelson Mandela Bay Championship after posting a one over par third round 73 in high winds at Humewood Golf Club.
The Frenchman, who led by three overnight, saw his advantage at the top cut to just one as he battled tricky conditions to finish the third round on 13 under par, one ahead of last week’s SDC Open winner JJ Senekal in second place.
The 21-year-old was two over through his first six holes on day three but bounced back with an eagle and a birdie at the seventh and ninth to make the turn at one under. Vaillant then responded to four bogeys with birdies at the 15th and 17th to ensure he remained the man to catch with 18 holes to play.
“I tried to focus on hitting my targets today,” he said. “It was going pretty well until I made a couple of bogeys. It was a challenge out there and I had to mentally reset and fight for everything again. I am proud of the way I responded because one over par is not a bad score in this wind.
“That’s definitely the toughest tournament conditions I have played in in my career and the guy who fights the hardest and wants it the most this week will win.
“It’s so important to get up and down and save par in these conditions and I’m happy I am still in contention heading into the final round. I’m not thinking about winning, I just want to focus on hitting the best shot I can at each moment.”
Three-time DP World Tour winner Brandon Stone climbed into a share of third on 11 under par alongside Englishman Josh Hilleard, American Dan Erickson and South African’s Dylan Mostert and Kennie O’Kennedy.
South African James Hart Du Preez posted a six under par round of 66 to move into eighth place on ten under par alongside England’s Bradley Bawden, Italian Lorenzo Scalise and countrymen Jared Harvey and Alex Haindl.
