CLOSING BIRDIE HAT-TRICK EARNS FICHARFT SHARE OF LEAD

Darren Fichardt signed off with a trio of closing birdies at Copperleaf Golf amd Country Estate, South Africa to join a four-way tie for the lead at the Tshwane Open.

The South African picked up eight shots today to post a third round 64 and finish the day 16 under par alongside 36-hole leader Charl Coetzee, compatriot Dawie Van der Walt and Chile’s Mark Tullo as storms once again affected play.

However, the almost two-hour delay could not put a stop to Fichardt’s fine form as he surged back to the top of the leaderboard, having lead after round one.

“I’m just hitting the right shots at the right time and making crucial putts, par-saving putts,’ explained Fichardt. “If I do hit a bad shot I recover from it and that’s what adds up to good scores, so I’m very happy with my game right now.”

It was a little more of a roller coaster for second round leader Coetzee who managed only two pars in his final nine holes, but five birdies countered a couple of dropped shots to see him finish in a share of the lead, and ideally placed to pick up a maiden professional win.

“It’s been so much fun,” said Coetzee. “This is a new experience for me and I’m loving it. Who knows what will happen tomorrow.”

As for Van der Walt and Tullo, neither has made a bogey in their first 54 holes as both look to pick up their first European Tour win on Sunday.

THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 216 (3x72)

200 M Tullo (Chi) 67 66 67, C Coetzee  (RSA) 67 65 68, D Fichardt (RSA) 65 71 64, D Van Der Walt (RSA) 68 65 67

201 L De Jager  (RSA) 71 65 65

202 P Uihlein  (USA) 68 66 68

203 D Howell (Eng) 67 69 67

204 G Van Der Merwe (RSA) 70 66 68

205 G Storm  (Eng) 70 68 67, O Bekker (RSA) 71 67 67, J Roos (RSA) 69 67 69, R Finch  (Eng) 70 66 69

206 D Willett  (Eng) 68 68 70, J Sjöholm (Swe) 68 68 70, K Broberg (Swe) 72 67 67, A Curlewis (RSA) 73 68 65, M Madsen  (Den) 70 67 69

207 C Basson (RSA) 70 66 71, R Wattel  (Fra) 70 66 71, M Nixon (Eng) 70 69 68, J Luiten (Ned) 69 69 69, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 67 71 69, S Kjeldsen (Den) 70 69 68, H Otto (RSA) 71 68 68, M Baldwin (Eng) 70 68 69, B Åkesson (Swe) 66 75 66

208 D McGrane (Irl) 68 71 69, V Groenewald (RSA) 68 70 70, R Rock (Eng) 71 69 68, J Ahlers (RSA) 68 72 68, J Hugo  (RSA) 67 71 70, A Da Silva (Bra) 69 70 69, J Walters (RSA) 71 71 66, S Henry  (Sco) 72 69 67, P Waring  (Eng) 74 65 69, G Mulroy (RSA) 69 70 69, P Whiteford (Sco) 71 69 68, J Kruger (RSA) 71 70 67

209 M Delpodio  (Ita) 71 68 70, C Nel (RSA) 69 70 70, M Bremner (RSA) 68 70 71, R De Smidt (RSA) 69 70 70, J Harding  (RSA) 68 70 71, R McGowan  (Eng) 73 68 68, M Korhonen (Fin) 68 72 69

210 D McGuigan (RSA) 71 67 72, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 72 68, M Kieffer (Ger) 72 69 69, L Jensen (Den) 73 67 70, G Stal  (Fra) 72 69 69, K Horne (RSA) 68 70 72, D Frittelli (RSA) 71 68 71, J Kamte (RSA) 69 70 71, J Kingston (RSA) 70 72 68, C Lloyd (Eng) 71 70 69, D Botes (RSA) 69 70 71

211 O Floren  (Swe) 73 69 69, R Cairns (Zim) 70 71 70

212 M Southgate  (Eng) 71 71 70, D Burmester (RSA) 68 70 74, M Carlsson  (Swe) 76 65 71, M Williams (RSA) 69 70 73

213 S Wakefield (Eng) 68 74 71, D Van Tonder  (RSA) 73 69 71, T Maseko (RSA) 70 69 74, N Schietekat (RSA) 75 67 71, J Campillo (Esp) 69 73 71, C Paisley  (Eng) 71 70 72, S Smith (RSA) 68 73 72,

214 D Clarke (Nir) 69 73 72, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 70 73, D Gaunt (Aus) 72 69 73,

216 M Warren (Sco) 70 72 74, J Olazábal (Esp) 76 66 74, D Horsey (Eng) 68 74 74,

217 G Muller (RSA) 70 72 75,

218 S Arnold  (Aus) 68 72 78, 

MISSED THE CUT

143 D Greene (RSA) 72 71 0, A Georgiou (RSA) 74 69 0, A Versfeld (RSA) 73 70 0, S Webster (Eng) 71 72 0, T Lewis (Eng) 73 70 0, P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 71 0, J Singh (Ind) 67 76 0, P McIntyre (RSA) 75 68 0, P Karmis  (RSA) 72 71 0, K Davidse (RSA) 74 69 0, T Fisher Jnr (RSA) 71 72 0, J Parry (Eng) 76 67 0, J Lara (Esp) 73 70 0, W Abery (RSA) 73 70 0, H Buhrmann (RSA) 72 71 0, E Molinari  (Ita) 72 71 0

144 O Fisher  (Eng) 70 74 0, P Erofejeff (Fin) 71 73 0, A Kaleka  (Fra) 76 68 0, C Doak (Sco) 73 71 0, A Sullivan (Eng) 71 73 0, A Pistorius (RSA) 70 74 0, A Snobeck  (Fra) 70 74 0, L Canter (RSA) 74 70 0, J Blaauw  (RSA) 70 74 0, E Kofstad (Nor) 72 72 0, C Swanepoel (RSA) 72 72 0, D Van Den Heever (RSA) 69 75 0

145 R McEvoy  (Eng) 73 72 0, M Hollick (RSA) 74 71 0, T Aiken (RSA) 75 70 0, S Little (Eng) 75 70 0, P Lawrie (Irl) 73 72 0, M Wiegele  (Aut) 71 74 0, B Pieters (RSA) 74 71 0, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 73 0,

146 M Lampert (Ger) 71 75 0, E De La Riva  (Esp) 77 69 0, M Carvell (RSA) 71 75 0, M Jonzon (Swe) 73 73 0, B Smith (RSA) 74 72 0, J Busby (Eng) 70 76 0, O Strydom (RSA) 72 74 0, J Lagergren (Swe) 75 71 0, D Hewan (RSA) 75 71 0, E Goya (Arg) 73 73 0, L Rowe  (RSA) 72 74 0, J Quesne  (Fra) 74 72 0, A Haindl (RSA) 70 76 0, L Ndwandwe (RSA) 71 75 0

147 M Hoey  (Nir) 75 72 0, D Higgins (Irl) 74 73 0, M Campbell (Nzl) 72 75 0, B Easton (RSA) 73 74 0, B Vaughan (RSA) 76 71 0, A Levy (Fra) 75 72 0,

148 T Spangenberg (RSA) 73 75 0, C Del Moral (Esp) 72 76 0, T Thimba Jnr (RSA) 77 71 0, A Michell (RSA) 74 74 0, T Baumann (Ger) 72 76 0,

149 C Macaulay  (Sco) 77 72 0,

150 N Fasth (Swe) 72 78 0, W Coetsee (RSA) 76 74 0, M Lundberg (Swe) 76 74 0, T Moore (RSA) 75 75 0

151 I Hutchings (RSA) 77 74 0

153 T Ferreira  (RSA) 72 81 0

155 J Van Tonder (RSA) 76 79 0, T Chabangu (RSA) 80 75 0,

** S Dyson  (Eng) 77 RT  0, D Drysdale (Sco) 73 retired  0, M Bothma (RSA) 77 RT  0, K Dube (RSA) 77 RT  0, S Norris  (RSA) 73 RT  0, J Van Zyl (RSA) 75 RT  0, T Sefatsa (RSA) 73 RT  0, J Claassen  (RSA) 80 WD  0, U Van Den Berg  (RSA) 75 RT