GEORGE, South Africa, 18 December 2005 — Tournament drawcards Retief Goosen and Ernie Els are set for an absorbing final day battle in the 1-million euros South African Airways Open over the par-73 Links at Fancourt today after both scored four-under-par 69 in the third round yesterday.
World No 4 Goosen is on seven-under 212 which gives him the tournament lead while world No. 5 Els is at 215 and in second position. The two South Africans are firm friends but their on-course rivalry is a fierce one and an absorbing final round is in store.
A third South African, Darren Fichardt, is lying joint third on 216 alongside England’s Ross Fisher, the overnight leader who crashed to a 78 as the pressure got to him on the back nine Saturday.
Mattias Eliasson of Sweden and South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Keith Horne share fifth place on 217. The Links at Fancourt holds many terrors for the golfer but Goosen, with the exception of a bogey at the par-five 13th, tamed it with some sensational play.
A highlight was his eagle three at the par-five fifth hole where a booming drive was followed by a five-iron to 30 feet.
In went the putt and Goosen had made up five strokes on Fisher in five holes. With three strokes to play with Goosen will have the advantage on the first tee today.
But Els, chasing his second victory in a row following his win in last Sunday’s Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, is in awesome form. And this course has so much trouble on every single hole that fortunes can change in next to no time.
“Playing with Ernie will certainly get the juices going and make me concentrate that much harder,” said Goosen, who twice before has been paired with Els in the final group in the last round of a big tournament.
The three opening holes here (par-4, par-3 and a par-4 known as Calamity because of the many dangers it poses) are extremely difficult, but he handled them superbly with two great par-saves followed by a splendid birdie.
“The four closing holes are really demanding, and you’re usually happy to play them in par,” he pointed out. “Today I parred 15 and 16, and birdied 17 and 18. That was really satisfying.” Goose was quizzed about the long rounds yesterday, his group taking 5hr 50min because the whole field was slow and there are often long walks between green and tee here.
“To be honest, time wasn’t a factor for me,” he replied, “I was concentrating so hard I didn’t notice how long we were taking.”
The high point for Els was eagling the par-five 13th where his drive went all of 397 yards. He hit a wedge in from there to six feet and rolled in the putt.
