SOUTH African golfer Breyten Meyer shot a bogey-free round of nine-under-par 63 to match the Royal Harare Golf Club record and take the third-round lead in the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open Championship yesterday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Meyer raked in nine birdies on his way to matching Zimbabwean great Nick Price’s 1998 best score around Royal Harare Golf Club as he stormed into the 54-hole lead at 12-under-par 204 in the Sunshine Tour’s R1,8 million event.
The 24-year-old golfer, who plays out of the Kingswood Golf Estate in George, South Africa, becomes only the second player to match Price’s course record since Italian golfer Francesco Laporta in 2013.
Meyer, who is still searching for his maiden Sunshine Tour win, will go into today’s final round with a one shot lead over fellow South African Vaughn Groenewald, who carded a four-under-par 68 to stay into contention for the title.
Having started the third round tied for 13th position on the leaderboard and trailing the overnight leader compatriot Louis de Jager by six shots, Meyer attributed his brilliant round to the great start he made.
“Today when I started off, I hit good shots and I made putts. On the back-nine, there were a few nervy shots, but going bogey-free was really good. I knew I would be able to post a good score. My golf has been good over the last year. I just haven’t been able to put it together,– but I’ve been working harder than ever before,” he said.
While Zimbabwean golfers saw their challenge wane in the penultimate round, other players took advantage of the favourable conditions on moving day to set themselves up for today’s final round.
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One such player was Englishman Steve Surry, who took sole possession of third place on eight-under-par after carding a five-under-par 67.
South Africa’s Hennie du Plessis also has a chance of challenging for the title after rebounding from an early double-bogey to card a four-under-par 68, and finish in fourth place on seven-under-par for the tournament.
Defending champion Dean Burmester saw his chances of retaining his title slip away as he carded a three-over-par 75 to slip to a tie for 18th on two-under-par for the tournament.
Top amateur golfer Kieran Vincent is the highest placed Zimbabwean on the leaderboard on one-under-par 215 after carding a third round 70, while his brother Scott dropped to a tie for 28th on level par after a disappointing 77 yesterday.
