Max Homa signed for a 69 featuring a bogey at the par-3 4th and an eagle at the par-5 10th to take the solo lead at 13-under at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
“I wasn't swinging it so well to start, I was a bit scrappy. I hit the ball really well coming down the last nine or ten holes, that was nice. I didn't hole anything putting wise but I made a nice bunker shot for eagle on ten which helped because I couldn't get the ball to go into the hole. I hit it really well and had a lot of looks.
“It was one of those feeder bunker shots: if you land it short it's going to run, if you land it long it will spin," he said of his eagle. "So I took a 56 and just played a low skidding one and it came off really good. It was one of the fun ones where 12 feet out you don't know how it could miss so those are the ones you like to have.”
France's Matthieu Pavon who shared the overnight lead with Homa closed with a 70 and lies in second place at 12-under.
“All in all I'm pretty happy to score under par,” said Pavon. “In the heat and intensity you drain a lot of energy which probably got me in the end.”
Danes Nicolai Højgaard and Thorbjørn Olesen started the day in a tie for fourth and both carded 69s to remain tied in third place at 11-under.
England's Dan Bradbury made four birdies and three bogeys and slipped down into solo fifth place at 10-under.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood of England is T8 six shots off the lead.
