There were moments on Saturday when Thriston Lawrence should have crumbled under the pressure, but, instead, he carded a five-under-par 67 to take a two-stroke lead after 54 holes of the Investec South African Open Championship at Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate.
He turned 26 during the third round of the second-oldest open championship in world golf, and while the single bogey he made on the ninth was not the birthday present he was hoping for, six birdies kept him two clear of Frenchman Clement Sordet. Germany’s Jens Fahrbring was a somewhat distant third on 12-under, Ashun Wu of China was in fourth on 11-under, and three players – Martin Simonsen of Denmark, South Africa’s Wilco Nienaber and local amateur Christiaan Maas – shared fifth on 10-under.
That dropped shot came from a putt that really could have moved just a hint further right, just as Lawrence had read it. For the rest of his round, however, he looked more experienced than his 56 starts on the DP World Tour suggest, and more comfortable than someone who was 25 only yesterday had any right to be as he tried to set up what would be his biggest victory.
He’s a two-time winner on the DP World Tour already, and he’s won on the Sunshine Tour, which is co-sanctioning the tournament, but a win here would confirm the promise he showed when he won the South African Amateur title twice in a row in 2013 and 2014.
There was not a part of his game which looked under pressure: He was largely secure and straight off the tee, as well as long enough to take on the longest course ever played on the DP World Tour; he got the ball on to the greens – or pretty close – in regulation; his short game was sublime; and he made some clutch putts. Perhaps the putt of the round was the 45-footer for birdie on the fifth, but there were plenty of par-savers which kept his nose in front. If he repeats that in the final round, he’s going to be tough to stop.
Sordet had a double-bogey on the second and a bogey on the 11th hampering his efforts to haul in Lawrence, but his eagle and seven birdies kept him within striking distance ahead of the final round.
One shot behind Maas and Nienaber were Dean Burmester and Deon Germishuys. Burmester flamed into life with a six-under-par 66 showing what he is really capable of on the course after opening rounds of 70 and 71. Germishuys was dogged for his third consecutive three-under 69.
James Hart du Preez, Ockie Strydom and MJ Daffue were on eight-under in a share of 14th.
