Sugrue leads Irish as Schaper dominates at De Zalze
Jayden Schaper
Mallow's James Sugrue is tied for fifth heading into the final round of the South African Stroke Play Championship.
The former South of Ireland champion shot a one under 71 in the third round at De Zalze to trail South Africa's teenage sensation Jayden Schaper by seven strokes on nine-under par.
Schaper (17) racked up five birdies over the last 12 holes for a two-under 70 to lead by five shots on 16-under from compatriot Wilco Nienaber, who shot 68.
Former SA Amateur champion Deon Germishuys fired a best of the day 66 to share third with Scotland's Euan Walker, who shot 69, on 10-under.
Portmarnock's Conor Purcell slipped back to tied 10th alongside Kilkenny's Mark Power after a 74.
Out in one-under as he sandwiched an eagle at the sixth and a birdie at the eighth between bogeys at the second and ninth, Purcell double bogeyed the par-three 12th and while he birdied the next, bogeys at the 16th and 18th left him nine shots behind Schaper on seven-under.
Power finished with back to back birdies for an excellent 67, but it was a round of two halves for Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty who followed a birdie at the fourth with six in a row from the sixth to get to nine-under.
After following a bogey at the 12th with a birdie at the 13th, he then bogeyed the par-three 16th and took seven at the par-five 17th to post a 68 that left him tied 15th on six-under with Galway’s Ronan Mullarney, who like Power, made seven birdies in an impressive 67.
South African Strokeplay Championship, De Zalze (Par 72)
Selected scores (RSA unless stated):
200 J Schaper 67 63 70;
205 W Nienaber 73 64 68;
206 D Germishuys 73 67 66; E Walker (Sco) 66 71 69;
207 K Cantley (Sco) 66 73 68; H O’Kennedy 71 68 68; J Sugrue (Irl) 67 69 71;
208 C Lamprecht Jnr 71 68 69, B van Wyk 69 68 71;
209 M Power (Irl) 71 71 67, S Simpson 70 70 69, M Pauw 73 66 70, A Herrmann (Ger) 72 67 70, C Purcell (Irl) 71 64 74;
210 C Jarvis 73 70 67, C Rafferty (Irl) 75 67 68; L Filippi 66 70 74; 211 R Mullarney (Irl) 71 73 67, B McKenzie (Eng) 72 70 69, T Nel 72 70 69, T Vahlenkamp (Ger) 71 69 71, C Burke 71 69 71, M Mitchell 70 70 71;
214 R Cannon (Irl) 72 72 70, R Brazill (Irl) 70 71 73;
222 P McKeever (Irl) 73 70 79.
