Pre tourney favourites Ernie Els took a 9 on the par 5 16th and Retief Goosen made bogey's on 3 of his last 6 holes to leave the door open for veteran Springbok Hennie Otto to take a commanding lead heading into the final round of the South African Open.
Otto at 35 has only 1 win on the European Tour because he is notoriously streaky and today he was hot, making four bidies and an eagle on his back nine of 30. Otto played the last 12 holes of his third round at Serengeti in a superb -8 and with a 65 moved to -14, 202.
His one European Tour victory came at the 2008 Italian Open, is now 3 in front of twice champion Goosen, their fellow South Africans Thomas Aiken and last week's winner Garth Mulroy and also Swede Magnus Carlsson.
Halfway leader Steven O'Hara, who needs a top-three finish to secure his European Tour card for next season, is back in a T8 spot after a +2 74 in which he covered the first 14 holes in +5, but then birdied the final three holes.
Goosen looked as if he might do it, but bogeyed the last two for a 71 that fell far short of what he was hoping for after beginning his round with three straight birdies.
Defending champion Els took a nine on the par-5 No. 16 after he hit his tee shot into the water and then his second drive into a bunker. He was on the green in six and three-putted and tumbled down to a T53 with his +4 76.
So the Goose and the rest of the pack have their work cut out to catch Hennie tomorrow, but remember he is streaky..
full leaderboard click http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2011/tournamentid=2011086/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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