Charl Schwartzel played himself back into contention on Saturday in the third round of the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in the UAE with a four-under-par 68 taking him to five-under-par for the tournament and a share of 11th place.
His five birdies and a bogey left him six shots adrift of the lead which was held by the 2012 Nelson Mandela Championship champion Scott Jamieson after he had set a course record nine-under 63 in the opening round. Jamieson’s 11-under 54-hole total was one clear of former Open champion Shane Lowry and of Thomas Pieters of Belgium. Shubankar Sharma of India and Norway’s Viktor Hovland shared fourth on eight-under.
Schwartzel made three birdies in the first eight holes in his third round, but dropped his only shot on the par-four ninth. He picked up two more shots on the homeward nine with successive birdies on the 13th and 14th.
Also on five-under with Schwartzel was Justin Harding, who had it going through the 11th hole with four birdies taking him to seven under for the tournament and within two of the lead at that point. But a double-bogey five on the par-three 13th halted his progress, and he will have to try and pick up shots again in the final round.
Erik van Rooyen battled to a one-over 73 in the third round and slipped to three-under for the tournament and a share of 22nd. Justin Walters had a one-under 71 to go to level-par with Dean Burmester and a share of 44th. Burmester had a two-under 70. Daniel van Tonder had a level-par 72 to be in a share of 54th on two-over, while Brandon Stone signed for a two-over 74 to be in 68th on four-over.
