European Tour - Joburg Open:Darren Clarke was unable to keep pace with Charl Schwartzel as the South African took control of the Joburg Open. A third round of 64 moved the home favourite to 18 under, four clear of the Irishman.
Clarke picked up four shots in his round of 68 but has work to do if he is to claim the title tomorrow. Michael Hoey, on nine under, is next best of the Irish contingent with Simon Thornton unable to build on yesterday’s round of 65.
Schwartzel won the Africa Open last Sunday with a 20 under total and the only time he has dropped a shot at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington this week was a double bogey at the 12th hole of his opening round on Thursday.
That was a careless four-putt six, but he has certainly made up for that since.
There were a dizzying 21 changes at the top of the leaderboard before Schwartzel, one behind England’s David Lynn at halfway, took charge over the closing stretch.
While a rain delay of more than two hours appeared to upset the rhythm of others, the European Tour money list leader had three birdies in four holes from the 12th.
Putts of four, 20 and 15 feet took him three clear, he rolled home a 30-footer on the 17th and two-putted the par-five last to complete an inward 30.
The last player to win back-to-back European Tour titles was German Martin Kaymer at the French and Scottish Opens last July.
Schwartzel is currently 51st in the world and another victory would make it odds-on that he will earn a Masters debut at Augusta in April. The top 50 the week before the event are guaranteed places in the opening major of the season.
Clarke is now outside the top 100 and has not been to The Masters since 2007, but the 40-year-old, whose 63 on the adjoining West Course on the first day was his lowest Tour round for 11 years, was impressive again 7.
He shared top spot after birdies on the fifth, sixth and eighth and, after three-putting the next, came home in 33.
Collated Scores
(Gbr & Irl unless stated,
Irishin bold par 71)
195Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 63 68 64
199 Darren Clarke63 69 67
201Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 68 64 69
202Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 66 65, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 67 66 69, Danny Willett 65 67 70, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 71 64 67, James Kamte (Rsa) 67 66 69
203Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 63 69 71, Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 65 70, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 66 69 68, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 62 72 69, Paul Broadhurst 66 68 69
204Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 70 67, John Parry 66 67 71, Joost Luiten (Ned) 66 69 69, TC Charamba (Zim) 68 68 68, Soren Hansen (Den) 66 70 68, Michael Hoey68 69 67
205Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 70 64 71, Peter Whiteford 66 69 70, Marcel Siem (Ger) 67 69 69, Josh Cunliffe (Rsa) 68 70 67, David Lynn 63 67 75
206Titch Moore (Rsa) 68 68 70, Jamie Elson 71 67 68, Warren Abery (Rsa) 69 67 70, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 66 70, Simon Thornton70 65 71, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 65 70 71
207Gary Lockerbie 70 66 71, Brandon Pieters (Rsa) 70 69 68, Andrew McArthur 65 74 68, Robert Dinwiddie 70 66 71, Ariel Canete (Arg) 68 69 70, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 68 72, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 67 68 72, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 68 70
208Prinavin Nelson (Rsa) 71 68 69, Kevin Stone (Rsa) 72 63 73, Neil Cheetham 67 69 72, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 68 70, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 67 70 71, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 67 67 74, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 66 69 73
209Christiaan Ries (Rsa) 68 70 71, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 68 71, Branden Grace (Rsa) 67 70 72, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 69 70 70, Julien Quesne (Fra) 69 70 70, Carl Suneson (Spa) 66 70 73, Robert Rock 68 71 70, Alexandre Kaleka (Fra) 71 67 71, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 67 69 73, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 72 67 70, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 69 70
210Ross Wellington (Rsa) 68 69 73, Andrew Marshall 69 69 72, Phillip Price 72 67 71, David Horsey 68 71 71, Andrew Curlewis (Rsa) 68 66 76, Ryan Tipping (Rsa) 72 67 71, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 70 67 73
211Grant Muller (Rsa) 71 68 72, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 66 71 74, Rhys Davies 73 66 72, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 66 74, Barry Lane 65 72 74
212Sam Hutsby 70 69 73, Theunis Spangenberg (Rsa) 71 68 73, Teboho Sefatsa (Rsa) 69 70 73, Justin Walters (Rsa) 71 67 74
213Alan McLean 71 66 76, Simon Khan 63 74 76
214Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 68 68 78
216Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 67 72 77, Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa) 69 70 77