Schwartzel and Colsaerts storm into contention

Overnight leader, Branden Grace, had an up and down round today scoring five birdies, three bogeys and two double bogeys on his way to a two over 75 and a share of the lead in the third round of the Volvo Golf Champions being played at The Links at Fancourt. 

Grace birdied the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, sixteenth and the eighteenth after dropping shots at the first, third and seventh.  Two double bogeys at the twelfth and seventeenth spoilt what would otherwise would have been a solid round under difficult conditions.  

He drove his tee shot into a pot bunker at the twelfth and had to pitch out sideways.  Grace admitted during the post round interview that he may have gone for too much on the seventeenth, pulled his wedge slightly left and paid the price.  However, he said he was happy to still be in contention and was looking forward to playing with Colsaerts again tomorrow.  

In a day of high scoring, Charl Schwartzel and Nicolas Colsaerts played themselves into contention with rounds of 68 and 69 respectively.  Both  made an eagle and four birdies, but the Belgian dropped shots at the first and the eleventh whereas the South African’s only dropped shot came at the eleventh. 

Colsaerts shares the lead with Branden Grace at -10 going into the final round with Schwartzel and Retief Goosen a shot behind the leaders.  

Goosen carded a round of 70 today and, with all his experience, will be a real threat tomorrow.  

Jose Maria Olazabal continued to impress with another solid round of 72 to claim fifth spot on his own at -8. 

Padraig Harrington [70]  and Louis Oosthuizen [72] are a further shot behind on -7.  Along with Ernie Els [71] who is at -6, they are still very much within striking distance of the leaders. 

The other South Africans in the field; Thomas Aiken, Hennie Otto and Garth Mulroy struggled under the wet and windy conditions and are probably too far behind to mount any serious threat tomorrow.  

Day Three scores as follows: