Darren Fichardt’s run at the DP World Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship continued on Saturday as the 50-year-old carded a four-under-par 68 in the third round and moved into fifth ahead of the final round.

Fichardt, who is ranked 10th on the Legends Tour’s Order of Merit in his debut season, mixed it up with players half his age as he made six birdies and two bogeys in his third round. At 11-under-par, he was just four strokes off the lead.

Adrien Saddier of France, and last week’s British Masters champion Alex Noren of Sweden, were on 15-under-par at the top of the leaderboard after rounds of 65 and 66 respectively. Tyrrell Hatton was third on 13-under-par after his bogey-free 64, and Viktor Hovland was fourth on 12-under after he had a third round of one-under 71.

With many of the players in the final two groups failing to make much progress in testing conditions at Wentworth, the door was left ajar for the chasing pack.

And Noren, who won this event in 2017 and shares the course record, took full advantage as he produced a birdie-birdie-eagle finish to sign for a 66.

The highlight of his round was undoubtedly the 17-foot eagle at the last, which pulled him alongside Frenchman Saddier on 15-under.

Saddier is enjoying an outstanding campaign on the DP World Tour, claiming his maiden title at this level at the Italian Open as well as securing three other top-five finishes.

And he looked dangerous again on Saturday as he fired eight birdies and dropped just one shot to give himself every chance going into Sunday’s finale.

Fichardt heads into the final round ahead of players of the calibre of Patrick Reed, Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg.

The next-best South Africans after the third round were Erik van Rooyen and Jacques Kruyswijk in a share of 20th with players like Hideki Matsuyama, Marco Penge, Min Woo Lee and Matt Wallace. Van Rooyen had a six-under 66 in the third round, and Kruyswijk a three-under 69.