Ireland's Padraig Harrington this morning continued his excellent form in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, but a late slip cost him a place at the top of the Sun City leaderboard.

Harrington won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October and clinched his first Order of Merit title with second place in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

The Dubliner was also sixth in the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, before beating world number one Tiger Woods in a play-off in the Dunlop Phoenix event in Japan earlier this month.

The 35-year-old took to the Sun City course with similar gusto this morning and found himself in an early lead in the 12-man event.

After a bogey on the third cancelled out a birdie on the previous hole, Harrington birdied the fourth and then rolled in a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh to reach the turn in 32.

At four-under-par, he was two shots ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate David Howell - with Colin Montgomerie, Henrik Stenson, Retief Goosen, Chris DiMarco and Jim Furyk all a shot further back.

A further fillip followed with a birdie on the 10th but it proved to be a false dawn for Europe's number one.

By the time 14 and 15 had been played Harrington was ruing two bogeys while Stenson was marking two birdies.

Furyk also carded two late birdies to improve on already flawless round to finish one behind the Swede on four-under-par.

Harrington's late wobble leaves him in joint third with England's David Howell.

The South African pair of Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel are two-under-par, with compatriots Trevor Immelman and Ernie Els on one-under and level par respectively.

Colin Montgomerie brings up the rear after a 75.

Collated scores

67Henrik Stenson (Swe)

68Jim Furyk (USA)

69David Howell, Padraig Harrington

70Retief Goosen (Rsa), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)

71Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa)

72Sergio Garcia (Spa), Ernie Els (Rsa)

74Chris DiMarco (USA)

75Colin Montgomerie