Australia's Marc Leishman will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge after Henrik Stenson lost his cool in sweltering conditions at Sun City.
Stenson had recovered from the embarrassment of a complete air shot on the second to open up a three-shot lead with three to play, but a three-putt bogey on the 16th coincided with a birdie on the 17th from Leishman, who carded another on the last to complete a superb 66.
Stenson then found a fairway bunker with his tee shot on the last and was so annoyed with the shot and the way the sand had been raked that he picked up his bag and twice slammed it into the ground.
The resulting bogey meant the world number seven had to settle for a 70 to finish 13 under par, with South African Jaco van Zyl on 10 under and American Robert Streb a shot further back.
Stenson, who gave himself just a five per cent chance of playing this week after spending three days in bed with the flu, said: “I was feeling better when I started but playing in 38 degrees certainly takes it out of you, so after the first 10, 11 holes I was really struggling.
“I tried to make up some ground, which I did, but I gave it back in the last three holes. All in all I didn’t play very well today and the short game and the putter kept the score together and that’s why I’m still at the races tomorrow.
“I made a lot of good par saves and played a lot of good bunker shots as well. It was disappointing on the last to find a shocking rake job in the bunker. It was sitting down in a hole and I couldn’t even get my lob wedge back onto the fairway.
“I thought I was going to have a shot out of the bunker to the green, but I had to take the safe option and ended up making five. So I’m not happy with the last three holes, but all in all it was a grinding round and I got a result out of it.”
Stenson had already seen his overnight lead wiped out by playing partner Jaco Van Zyl’s opening birdie when he attempted a delicate flop shot from just off the second green, only for his club to slide straight under the ball.
The Ryder Cup star was more successful with his second attempt, chipping to five feet and holing for par, but saw Van Zyl — whose superb approach to the first had left him a tap-in birdie — two-putt from long range on the par five to take the lead.
Stenson reclaimed top spot courtesy of a two-shot swing on the fifth, the Swede holing from 10 feet for birdie and Van Zyl failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
And after dropping a shot on the eighth, four more birdies in the next seven holes — the 39-year-old’s approach to the ninth carried the water by a matter of inches — appeared to have left Stenson in command before the late turnaround in fortunes.
“I saw Henrik was getting away a little bit so I had to try to do something to make it interesting for tomorrow,” said Leishman, who lost out in a three-man play-off for the Open Championship at St Andrews in July. “Hopefully I can have another good round like today and give him a run for his money.
“I’ll be very relaxed — there’s not too much to stress about. Obviously I really want to win, but it’s golf. I generally sleep well so hopefully I’ll do that tonight and I’ll try to make some birdies tomorrow. There’s a lot of golf to go and anything can happen.
“I’ve been in this position a few times in big events so it’s great to draw on that experience. I’ve come up short a couple of times but I’ve won tournaments before and I’m looking forward to having a chance tomorrow.”
