SOUTH AFRICAN golfer Neil Schietekat will take a virtually insurmountable seven-shot lead into the final round of the FBC Zimbabwe Open today after putting on a masterclass at Royal Harare Golf Club yesterday.
The 39-year-old professional, who represents Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, started the day in second position on eight under-par before firing the lowest round of the day, a sizzling six-under-par 66.
Schietekat’s bogey-free round moved him to an impressive 54-hole total of 14-under-par 202.
StandardSport was unable to verify if Schietekat’s 54-hole effort is the largest in the tournament's history, but it is certainly one for the history books and sets him up perfectly for what looks like an almost certain win today, barring a monumental final day collapse.
The South African duo of first round leader Wynand Dingle and Jonathan Broomfield are a distant tie for second position on seven-under-par.
Dingle played a solid one-under-par 71 while Broomfield signed for his second successive 69.
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The duo has a lot of work to do on the final day for them to catch up with their compatriot Schietekat who is now poised to maintain South Africa’s dominance of the FBC Zimbabwe Open.
The overnight leader Adam Breemer found the going tough on the penultimate day after carding a four-over 76 to drop to a three-way tie for fourth position alongside the pre-tournament favourite Jaco Alhers and Peter Karmis from Greece.
Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi has a very good chance of claiming his maiden top 10 finish on the Sunshine Tour as he is in a two-way tie for seventh alongside veteran pro Trevor Fisher Jr on four-under-par.
South African amateur golfer Ian Verster, who earned an invite in the FBC Zimbabwe Open by virtue of his victory in the inaugural First Capital Bank Zimbabwe Junior Open last year looks set to claim the amateur trophy.
The 20-year-old rising star, who is a product of the Louis Oosthuizen Junior Golf Academy is tied for 24th on one-over par, nine shots of the only other amateur to make the cut, Zimbabwe’s David Amm.