Branden Grace fared the best of the South Africans on Saturday in the third round of the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club with his three-under-par 67 lifting him to a share of 14th.
The lead was held – as it has been throughout – by Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who carded a six-under 64 to move to 17-under. That was two shots clear of American Cameron Young. Matthew Woolf’s seven-under 63 lifted him to a share of third on 10-under, together with Lucas Herbert of Australia and Sadom Kaewkanjana of Thailand.
Grace had four birdies and a bogey on his card, and he was in a share of 14th on six-under with Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, Patrick Reed of the United States, England’s Richard Bland and countryman Hennie du Plessis. Du Plessis signed for a one-under 69.
Charl Schwartzel was on five-under after a two-under 68, and Louis Oosthuizen battled his way to a three-over 73 and slipped to five-under through 54 holes to be in a share of 19th with his countryman.
Jbe’ Kruger and Ian Snyman were in a share of 31st on four-under after rounds of 71 and 72 respectively. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent was one stroke further back after a two-over-par 72.
