According to Reuters, the home pair of Jayden Schaper and Ryan van Velzen are tied for the lead at the South African Open after the third round. They will be taking a one-shot advantage into the final round as they seek their first success on the DP World Tour. Both Schaper and Van Velzen are 22 years old and have a nine-under-par total of 207, putting them one shot ahead of Louis de Jager and two shots ahead of six other contenders on the crowded leaderboard.
Despite starting the day with a double bogey, Schaper managed to shoot a five-under-par 67, including six birdies. Van Velzen, on the other hand, birdied the 17th hole to finish with a 70 in the third round after shooting a faultless 65 in the second round. The Gary Player-designed 8,233-yard course, known for being the longest on the DP World Tour, provided a tough challenge.
After completing his round, Schaper commented on the difficult golf course, stating, “It’s a brutal golf course, big greens and massive fairways made it tough out. I started with a six on the first hole but rested after that and tomorrow I’ll look to keep to the game plan and see what happens.”
De Jager, who is 36 years old, is eight under par after his third round 70, while Dean Burmester made a strong comeback with eight birdies, finishing with a 65 in the third round. This catapulted him up the leaderboard, placing him just two shots off the pace with a total of 209. Burmester recently won the Jo’burg Open and is in a good position as he seeks a second title of the new season.
Swede Jesper Svensson, who was the overnight leader, struggled with the hot conditions in the third round and returned a 74. As a result, he is now tied for fourth place with a total of 209, alongside Dean Burmester and others.
Mark Gleeson in Cape Town contributed to this report.
