Spain´s Pablo Martin has already withstood a few strong charges on his lead early in the third round of the South African Open at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on Saturday.
Martin climbed to 12 under par with his first birdie of the round on the third hole. But behind him Italian Edoardo Molinari birdied three of his first five holes to become a serious contender on 10 under.
And with another Spaniard in Alejandro Canizares well placed at nine under, moving day has begun in earnest.
Former champion James Kingston hasn´t been given the wind he would´ve liked for the third round. But it hasn´t stopped him from making a move with two birdies in the first five holes, placing him on eight under.
Louis Oosthuizen and Anders Hansen were also on eight under on their first nines. Young South African George Coetzee surged to seven under with three birdies in his first three holes on his way to a front nine of 32.
In perfect conditions at Pearl Valley, Richard Bland gave a glimpse of the kind of golf to expect when he posted a 66, despite a double bogey, earlier today for a total of five under par.
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Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate will host the South African Open Championship in 2011 and 2012. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Serengeti is the first 27-hole golf course in Gauteng and was recently named “Best New Golf Course” by Golf Digest.
The 18-hole course called Masai Mara, which means “wide open plains” in the language of the Masai, has a rugged grassland and dune-scape look. One of the unique features on the course is the par-five eighth hole with its island green. The nine-hole course called Whistling Thorn has a more classic feel.
The courses were constructed in accordance with USGA specifications, with cool season grass that provides green vistas all year round. Designed as a strategic and technical masterpiece that will test today’s best players, the sunken design of the course with its wide corridors is ideal for tournament purposes and provides optimal spectator value on almost every hole.
