A fast-finishing Thriston Lawrence has given himself a chance after a superb closing nine on Saturday saw him card a five-under-par 67 in the third round of the DP World Tour’s Horizon Irish Open to move into a share of seventh.

Lawrence battled to get anything going on the front nine after making the kind of start he needed with a birdie on the first. Four consecutive pars followed: He missed two makeable birdie putts on two and three, and another from 16 feet on four. Then he went bunker to bunker from the tee on the par-five fifth, making just a par on what should have been an easy birdie.

He found a bunker again off the tee on the par-three sixth, and bogeyed that, and it looked like a long day ahead for the Joburg Open champion. But he got things going with a birdie on the 10^th with two putts on the par-five giving him birdie. He chipped in from the semi-rough from 25 feet on the 11^th, and he was on his way. He made birdie from 12 feet on 13, and from seven feet on 14. Then he two-putted from 60 feet for birdie on the par-five 17^th.

After his frustrating level-par 72 in the second round, his moving-day heroics vaulted him to 11-under for the tournament. That’s just three of the lead which was held by Pole Adrian Meronk who signed for a 68 to lead by one from Jorge Campillo of Spain, England’s Jack Senior and Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti. They were all on 13-under.

Next best of the South Africans was Justin Walters on six-under, in a share of 29^th after his three-under 69. Then came Oliver Bekker on five-under. He had a level-par 72 to be in a share of 37^th. Brandon Stone carded a one-under 71 reaching four-under for the tournament in a share of 45^th.

Zander Lombard slumped to a four-over 76, and was in a share of 74^th on level-par through 54 holes.