BLAIRGOWRIE STAR PROSPECT LEADS BY ONE WITH A ROUND TO PLAY

           Bradley Neil in action. Picture by Kenny Smith

BRILLIANT BRADLEY'S PURPLE PATCH 

PUTS HIM IN SOUTH AFRICA LEAD

Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil produced a purple patch of five birdies in a seven-hole span mid-round to
leapfrog of Ireland's Dermot McElroy and lead the South African stroke-play golf championship with one round to go at Benoni Country Club.
The reigning Scottish boys' match-play champion birdied the short eighth, long ninth, long 10th, 13th and 14th in a bogey-free third round of five-under-par 67.
On 13-under-par 203, top prospect Neil leads by one from Ballymena's McElroy (70 for 204), with a group of South Africans poised to pounce from two, three and four shots off the lead.
Neil, who has been in South Africa for several weeks with the SGU national squad, was cool, calm and collected as he surveyed the leaderboard at the end of the day.
“I got off to a pretty slow start, but the birdie at the eighth gave me a little momentum. I birdied the next two holes, and picked up two more at the 13th and 14th. Nothing too spectacular, but anytime you can finish a round with a clean card, you’ve had a great day," said Neil.
“I’ll do much the same in the final round. No need to change things. Someone will shoot a low round, so I’ll just work on giving myself enough chances to challenge down the home straight.”
McElroy holed a 20ft putt for an eagle 3 at the last to stay on the Scot's tail.
British boys champion Ewen Ferguson from Bearsden is joint 12th, six shots off the pace after a 69 for 209. 
Like McElroy, Ferguson finished with an eagle 3, having earlier birdied the short third, long 10th, and 17th, offset by bogeys at the long ninth and 16th.
Connor Syme also shot a 69 to be joint 17th on 211. Syme had the kind of start he must have dreamed of .. birdies at the first, second, third and fifth. But he cooled off to bogey the seventh, eighth, 11th and 13th, with a birdie at the 10th keeping the smile on his face.
The pro's son from Dumfries & Co finished well with his sixth and seventh birdies at the short 15th and long 18th.
Cawder's Jamie Savage is joint 23rd after a 68 for 213, highlighted by birdies at the first, sixth, ninth, 10th and 18th. Only one bogey on his card, at the 15th.
Left-hander Bob McIntyre (Glencruitten) is also on the 213 mark after a 70 in which he had three birdies and one bogey.
A third Scot on three-under-par after 54 holes is Scott Gibson (Southerness) whose 71 looked certain to be a sub-70 score when he birdies the first, second, fourth, 10th and 16th. But calamity at the last two holes. He bogeyed the 17th and then ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 18th.

LEADING THIRD ROUND SCORES
Par 216 (3x72) Players from South Africa unless stated
203 Bradley Neil (Sco) 70 66 67
204 Dermot McElroy (Ire) 69 65 70
205 Jason Smith 71 66 68, Stefan Cronje 69 67 69
206 Joel Girrbach (Swi) 68 70 68
207 Keegan de Lange 72 69 66, Christiaan Bezuidenhout 64 74 69
208 James du Preez 72 69 67, Edgar Catherine (Fra) 71 70 67, Paul Elissalde (Fra) 71 66 71, Kyle McClatchie 68 72 68
209 Romain Langasque (Fra) 71 69 69, Ewen Ferguson (Sco) 67 73 69
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
211 Connor Syme 71 71 69 (T17)
212 Jamie Savage 71 73 68, Robert McIntyre 73 69 70, Scott Gibson 68 73 71 (T23).