Local hopeful Hennie du Plessis leads Joburg Open heading into final round

A lot of the field needed to complete their second rounds due to weather delays in the first two rounds, with the 29-year-old playing 27 holes on Saturday.

Du Plessis finished in a tie for second at last week's Investec South African Open Championship and he continued that momentum with ten birdies and two bogeys for his third round to equal the course record at Houghton Golf Club.

He catapulted to the top courtesy of five birdies in a row to start his back nine to finish at 14 under, with Brandon Robinson Thompson, Casey Jarvis and Alex Fitzpatrick sitting two off the pace.

"I hung in there," Du Plessis said.

"I got it going as well. Very pleased with the way I was striking it, the way I'm putting, especially when you have played 27 holes today. To come back for them 18 holes, it was nice.

"I'm going to stick to the same things, stick to my process, have a good warm-up and take it from there.

"I'm feeling good, no injuries, fit. I'm just happy to be back and in contention."

Jack Hawksby made a fast start with birdies at the first and third to climb into double figures and when Robinson Thompson, who held a three-shot overnight lead, bogeyed the latter hole, his advantage was cut to one.

Robinson Thompson saw his lead extend to two when Hawksby double-bogeyed the fifth and then he restored his three-shot initiative with a birdie at the same hole.

The deficit was soon reduced to one after the Englishman bogeyed the seventh to slip back to 11 under and Adrian Otaegui rolled in his fourth birdie of the day.

Du Plessis joined Otaegui at ten under after completing a brace of gains at the 11th and when Bradbury birdied the tenth, he joined that mark as well.

There was a change at the top when Du Plessis made it three in a row at the 12th to join Robinson Thompson at the summit.

The South African's charge did not stop at the 13th as he leapfrogged the leader, only for Robinson Thompson to reply with a birdie at the tenth to return to 12 under.

Du Plessis was on fire though and when he rolled his fifth successive birdie at the 14th, he was the outright leader.

However, Robinson Thompson also got into his rhythm on the back nine with back-to-back birdies to rejoin the lead at 13 under.

Yet Du Plessis added his sixth birdie of his back nine at the 17th to move ahead on his own before closing with a par to set the clubhouse target of 14 under.

Robinson Thompson was already at that mark thanks to a birdie at the 13th, but he horseshoed a par putt at the 16th to slip one behind.

A carbon copy putt at the 17th saw him miss the chance on rejoining Du Plessis at the top before closing with a bogey.

Alex Fitpatrick, Casey Jarvis, who is aiming to win three consecutive DP World Tour events, and Dan Bradbury all carded 64s as they were joined by Robinson Thompson at 12 under.

Otaegui and English pair Nathan Kimsey and Hawksby were in double figures, while Frenchman David Ravetto and home favourite Daniel van Tonder wrapped up the top ten at nine under.