Lead snatched by G-Mac as Charl falters
Jason Dufner and Martin Kaymer produced the other best rounds of the day – 68s – to climb to six-under and a tie for second place along with Robert Karlsson and Lee Westwood, who both had solid if unspectacular days.
It was obvious from early on that Schwartzel was not quite on his game on Friday: he was narrowly missing fairways off the tee and couldn’t get his iron shots close to the pins. But the South African held things together well to stay in sight of the leaders with pars on the first seven holes.
The frustrations of not being able to make a move everntually told, however, and Schwartzel had to make use of a provisional ball on the par-four eighth after losing his first drive in the bushveld. His fourth shot was a superb iron to six feet from the flag, but the lone local in the field then missed the putt for bogey.
Schwartzel partially made up for the double drop with a birdie on the par-five ninth, but the back nine was just as frustrating with a bogey on the par-four 13th leaving the Masters champion five shots adrift of McDowell’s pace.
The Northern Irishman birdied the first hole, but it was around the turn that the 2010 U.S Open champion made the surge that would give him the lead.
Anyone wanting to win the crystal orb on Sunday afternoon generally needs to make the most of the turn, particularly the back-to-back par-fives at nine and 10, and McDowell did that, birdieing both holes and then also making birdies at the 11th and 13th holes.
He was the leader but it did not last for long as his hot streak came to a sudden halt with a double-bogey on the par-five 14th.
McDowell had enjoyed a huge bit of good fortune on the eighth when his drive was heading deep into the bush, but it hit a tree and bounced back into the fairway, allowing him to make par.
The 32-year-old tugged his drive left again on the 14th and this time it landed deep in the Pilanesburg wilds.
When McDowell got to his ball, it was nestling on a rock and, in trying to hack it back on to the fairway, the club bounced off the rock behind the ball and he ended up with a freshie. McDowell got it right second time round, but he then hit a three-wood into the fairway bunker. He was eventually on the green in five and then two-putted.
But McDowell clearly has the gene for composure under pressure because he regrouped and birdies on the par-three 16th and on the par-four closing hole – both 20-footers – gave him the lead.
Karlsson was the epitome of Scandinavian efficiency as he avoided the terrors of the Gary Player Country Club in a bogey-free round of 69. He kept his card blemish-free thanks to an amazing 50-foot curling putt for par from off the green on the eighth.
Fellow European star Kaymer is also someone who seldom blanches in the face of adversity and he eagled the 10th and picked up three birdies in a round that was marred by just one bogey. The German’s 68 gave him a share of second place as well.
Dufner was extremely solid from tee to green and the American will feel he could have murdered the course if he could have sunk some putts on the first two days. Nevertheless, Dufner’s putter warmed up on the back nine on Friday and he shot a 68 to lie just one shot off the lead.
Friday’s second round was something of a trial for joint overnight leader Westwood, but the Englishman will be pleased he finished a tough day just one shot off the pace.
Westwood birdied the par-five second hole to claim the lead for himself, but today was not a moving day for the world number three. Further birdies on the ninth and 15th holes mean he is still very much in the picture though.
Kyung-Tae Kim, after an incident-packed 70 that included an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys, and Simon Dyson are tied for sixth on four-under-par.
South Africa’s number one ranked course also toyed with the emotions of Darren Clarke, who chipped in twice for birdies on the front nine, and then made six birdies, a bogey and two double-bogeys on the back nine. The Northern Irishman is nevertheless under par and has moved up the leaderboard after his 69.
In the Nedbank Senior Challenge, Bernhard Langer is in a one-stroke lead after five birdies in his first 10 holes set up a 68.
Ian Woosnam, who won the first ever million dollar cheque in golf history here in 1987, is in second place on six-under-par, with Mark Calcavecchia, who has the best stroke-average in the Champions Tour, also very much in the hunt in Saturday’s final round on four-under-par.