ENGLISHMAN LEADS BY ONE IN NEDBANK CHALLENGE

BIRTHDAY BOY DONALD LOOKING FOR

SUNDAY VICTORY CELEBRATION



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Luke Donald is hoping for the perfect birthday present on Sunday after a three-under-par 69 in the third round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge gave him a one-shot lead at Gary Player Country Club, Sun City in South Africa.
The Englishman’s last European Tour win came at the BMW PGA Championship in May 2012, and he gave himself an excellent chance of celebrating his 37th birthday in style by birdieing the last to move to 13 under par 203, one clear of compatriot Danny Willett, who sparkled with a seven under par 65.
Another Englishman, Ross Fisher, lies third on ten under 206, thanks to a second consecutive 70, while Germany’s Marcel Siem is fourth, courtesy of a 71 and five under 2011 overall.
Donald mixed five birdies and two bogeys to stay in front on a breezy day, and at one point he led by four strokes. However, Willett, on his first appearance in the Nedbank Golf Challenge had eight birdies and one dropped shot to storm into contention.
Quotes
Luke Donald
“I'm pretty pleased with the score. I could have played a little more solid on the back nine, but around this course, with a lead, shooting 69, that's kind of what the game plan was, to go out and shoot a low round and keep myself ahead and in position for tomorrow. 
I was very calm out there, very collected and hit the shots that I wanted to again. This is as pleased as I've been with my game for a while. The last year and a half have been very tough. I haven't really given myself many chances. 
I won just over a year ago in Japan, but I really haven't put myself in position very often in the last year. So I'm excited to be in that position again. That's why we work hard and that's why we practise so much. I'm excited for the challenge tomorrow.”
Danny Willett
“They say Saturday is a moving day and for once we moved in the right direction, so it’s really good. We were a little surprised when we came down the last and saw the big leaderboard, how spread out the field was today. I was swinging nicely on the range, then made some really good moves on the first few holes which set up some relatively simple birdies, then I kept pressing. I didn't hold back and really pressed on and finished strongly.”
Ross Fisher
“It was another tough day. I felt like I played better than my score suggested, but it was a similar story to yesterday. I felt like I hit it pretty well and gave myself a lot of chances, I just couldn't buy a putt. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. I just need to go out and play how I've been playing the first three days and how I putted on the first day.  If I do that, I feel like I've got a really good chance of winning it.”
THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
203 L Donald  (Eng) 71 63 69,
204 D Willett  (Eng) 71 68 65,
206 R Fisher (Eng) 66 70 70,
211 M Siem  (Ger) 68 72 71,
212 L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 70 73 69, T Jaidee (Tha) 71 70 71,
213 T Clark (RSA) 70 71 72, K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 72 73 68, M Jiménez (Esp) 70 74 69,
214 J Blixt  (Swe) 71 73 70, D Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 72 69, A Levy (Fra) 68 70 76,
215 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 74 67 74, S Gallacher (Sco) 70 73 72, P Larrazábal (Esp) 73 71 71, S Lowry  (Irl) 72 72 71,
216 C Schwartzel  (RSA) 70 71 75, B Todd (USA) 73 68 75,
218 G Coetzee (RSA) 68 74 76,
219 B Koepka  (USA) 70 74 75, J Luiten (Ned) 72 74 73, J Ahlers (RSA) 74 75 70, M Warren (Sco) 75 73 71,
220 T Bjørn (Den) 80 72 68, L Westwood (Eng) 72 70 78, M Kaymer (Ger) 74 75 71,
222 K Na (USA) 77 73 72,
226 M Ilonen  (Fin) 76 78 72,
231 D Van Tonder  (RSA) 77 78 76,
Withdrew: J Donaldson (Wal) 74 wd

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