Although his putting wasn’t as good on Saturday as it was in the second round, Erik van Rooyen posted a bogey-free four-under-par 67 in the third round of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina to head into the final round just one shot off the pace.
He picked up three shots on the front nine, and just one on the homeward nine as he moved to a 54-hole total of 10-under-par. That’s very much within striking distance of the leader Harold Varner III, who had a superb eight-under 63 to move to 11-under. Sharing second with Van Rooyen were 36-hole leader Patrick Cantlay and former Open champion Shane Lowry after rounds of one-under and six-under respectively.
“I feel great about things,” said Van Rooyen. “I played with a lot of freedom, so I’m really, really happy. My overall game from putting, chipping, iron play, driving – I feel like it’s all at a really high level.”
His driving was particularly impressive on a course that belies it links name with some pretty narrow fairways in places. “It’s just my tempo really,” he explained. “You know, I think we go through phases throughout the season, and things are just coming together nicely for me right now.
“I was disappointed to miss the cut at the Masters, but I still felt like I was playing well coming into that last week, and things are just moving in the right direction here.”
Behind him, Branden Grace and Dylan Frittelli each carded a three-under 68in the third round to move to four-under for the tournament and a share of 38th. Charl Schwartzel had a level-par 71 to be in a share of 56th.
For Van Rooyen, it’s a question of going out and doing the same things right all over again if he is to win. “Winning breeds winning,” he said. “I’ve done it before. Nothing changes. People always feel like there’s this special thing that you have to do. At the end of the day, it’s just golf. So go play your good golf, and it will take care of itself.”
