There was a period around the turn on Saturday when it seemed JJ Senekal should have tried walking on water as he picked up six shots in five holes on his way to a three-way share of the lead after the third round of the Sunshine Tour’s Stella Artois Players Championship at Dainfern Golf Estate.

Senekal went on to make two bogeys down the stretch after that extraordinary burst, but he still carded a four-under-par 67 to head into the final round on 13-under-par, together with Jaco Ahlers and halfway leader Ockie Strydom, who had a two-under 69 and a level-par 71 respectively.

Things went quietly for Senekal, who is in search of his third Sunshine Tour title, with a sequence of eight pars in a row from the opening hole. But then came the miraculous golf: He made birdie on nine, and again on 10 and 11. Then came the eagle with a sublime approach on the par-five 12^th, which left him with a putt from inside 10 feet. There was yet another birdie on the drivable par-four 13^th, and suddenly, he was cruising in the lead at 15-under.

Things started to look a little less assured for him after that, however, especially off the tee, and he bogeyed the 14^th after pulling his drive left. He wasn’t able to get up and down after punching out sideways there. There was another bogey on 17, but he had taken a giant step closer to a possible victory to add to his 2013 title at St Francis Links and won in the Zanaco Masters in Lusaka, Zambia in 2018.

For Ahlers, it’s Sunshine Tour title number 10 that’s in his sights, and, but for some narrow misses with his putter, he could have been well clear at the top of the leaderboard. He made a birdie and a bogey on the front nine to turn in level-par, after which he picked up birdies on 14 and 17. It wasn’t for want of good approach play, however, and many of his birdie tries burned the edges.

Strydom was unable to follow his brilliant second-round 63 with an under-par performance, but at least his level-par 71 kept him in contention for what would be his second Sunshine Tour victory.

Behind them, in a share of fourth on 12-under, were Estiaan Conradie and Rourke van der Spuy. Conradie narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 18^th which would have put him in a share of the lead. He had a five-under 66, while Van der Spuy continued his recent consistency with a four-under 67.

Round of the day came from Luke Jerling, who signed for a nine-under 62 – which included a bogey on the 14^th – to move to 10-under for the tournament in a share of ninth and very much in contention.