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Nedbank Golf Challenge: Zander Lombard maintains narrow lead into finale

By Matt Coles

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 16: Zander Lombard of South Africa celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player at the Gary Player CC on November 16, 2019 in Sun City, South Africa. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 16: Zander Lombard of South Africa celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player at the Gary Player CC on November 16, 2019 in Sun City, South Africa. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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South Africa’s Zander Lombard continues to lead the Nedbank Golf Challenge on home soil, despite only carding a level-par round of 72 on Saturday.

Zander Lombard held a two-shot lead going into the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club, but he saw his lead halve on Saturday afternoon.

He sits at -11, thanks to four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey over the course of his third round on home soil, as Louis Oosthuizen and Thomas Detry closing the gap.

Fellow South African Oosthuizen was in second place to the start of the day, and a third round 71 saw him move to within one shot of his countryman.

Detry was in third ahead of Saturday’s action, and he was one of several players to shoot a 69, but he would have been in a tie for the lead had it not been for a bogey on the 18th.

Like Lombard, the Belgian is also in the hunt for his first European Tour victory, while Oosthuizen is looking for his sixth on home soil, and his tenth in total.

Sitting three shots behind the lead are Oliver Wilson and Marcus Kinhult, with the pair at -8 after three days. The Englishman carded a 67 on Saturday, the second best round of the day in Sun City.

Six men are in a tie for 6th at -6, five back from the lead, including reigning Nedbank champion Lee Westwood. Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger is also in the group and as it stands, he will extend his lead at the top of the standings.

Jason Scrivener, Aaron Rai, Mikko Korhonen and Joachim Hansen are also in that group inside the top ten, with the latter somehow pulling off the best/worst bunker shot, possibly in the history of golf.

2017 Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood dropped out of the top five after a round of 73, and he now sits in a tie for 12th alongside Nacho Elvira and Joost Luiten.

Matthew Fitzpatrick and Erik van Rooyen, two men inside the top ten of the Race to Dubai standings, are at -3, eight shots back, ahead of the final round, while Robert MacIntyre is at -2, thanks to the best round of the day. The Scot carded a 65 to lift himself up into the top 25.

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After three days, just 31 men are under par, with Padraig Harrington and Scott Jamieson the only two men level through 54 holes.

It was a bad day for England’s Paul Waring, who carded a six-over-par 78 in Sun City to drop out of the top 20 and down into a tie for 37th. He sits alongside compatriots Ian Poulter and Matt Wallace at +2.

At the bottom, it continues to be a dreadful week for Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregard, who now sits at +15. He has been joined by Andrea Pavan, thanks to the Italian carding an 80 on Saturday.

Back at the top, and it will be Lombard who takes a lead into the final round. He will tee off alongside Oosthuizen and Detry, with the likely winner coming from those three men.

Or could someone spring a surprise from lower down? Can Lee Westwood pull something amazing out of the bag and become the first multiple winner of the Nedbank Golf Challenge since it became a European Tour event in 2013?

The action gets underway at 08:00 local time (GMT+2), with the leaders teeing off a couple of hours later. 18 holes will decide it on Sunday in South Africa, but will the crowd get a home winner?

Next. How could Tiger replace Koepka at the Presidents Cup?. dark

2019 Nedbank Golf Challenge Leaderboard:

1 (-11): Zander Lombard (RSA)

T2 (-10): Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Thomas Detry (BEL)

T4 (-8): Oliver Wilson (ENG), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

T6 (-6): Jason Scrivener (AUS), Aaron Rai (ENG), Mikko Korhonen (FIN), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT), Joachim Hansen (DEN), Lee Westwood (ENG)

Selected Others:

T12 (-5): Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Joost Luiten (NED)

T15 (-4): Alvaro Quiros (ESP), Guido Migliozzi (ITA)

T17 (-3): Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)

T21 (-2): Robert MacIntyre (SC)O), Martin Kaymer (GER), Henrik Stenson (SWE)

T25 (-1): Alex Noren (SWE), Kurt Kitayama (USA), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)

T37 (+2): Matt Wallace (ENG), Ian Poulter (ENG), Paul Waring (ENG)

T51 (+5): Branden Grace (RSA), Thomas Pieters (BEL), Ernie Els (RSA)

T62 (+15): Lucas Bjerregard (DEN), Andrea Pavan (ITA)

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