Charl Schwartzel continued with his solid run at the AT&T Byron Nelson, carding a round-three four-under 68 to total 17-under and trail by just four while remaining the leading South African ahead of the final round at TPC Craig Ranch.

The 2011 Masters champion came into day three just two shots off the pace and would need a strong round to keep in touch with the lead. He made par on the first hole but dropped a shot immediately after that. He recovered swiftly; birdieing the third to remain level-par after three holes. Another bogey followed, this time on the par-three fourth but Schwartzel held his nerve.

He bounced back on the fifth, birdieing that par-five before backing it up with another birdie on the next hole, the sixth. Now, with back-to-back birdies on the card, the South African was assured and didn’t drop any more shots on the front; taking pars on seven and eight before a birdie on nine graced his card.

A par after the turn was followed by birdies on 11 and 12 as Schwartzel found some momentum so that even the bogey on 13 – disappointing as it would have been – wasn’t enough to threaten his resolve. He made a birdie on 14 to make up for that mishap which was followed by pars on 15 and 16 but another bogey crept onto his card on the 17^th, threatening to halt his progress. Schwartzel then birdied the last to sign for a 68 to stay four shots behind Sebastien Munoz.

Schwartzel is in a three-way share of sixth with South Korean K.H Lee and American Ryan Palmer.

Christian Bezuidenhout carded an impressive 64 which catapulted him to 15-under-par for the week and in a share of 12^th, seven off Munoz’s lead. Branden Grace is the next highest-placing South African, having carded a 67 in round three to launch himself to a tie for the 47^th spot.

Dylan Frittelli signed for two-under 70 on day three and finds himself in a share of 53^rd on nine-under-par while Dawie van der Walt tied 81^st. James Hart Du Preez and Shaun Norris did not make the cut.