A terrific duel between Justin Rose of England and South Africa's Trevor Immelman in the Nedbank Golf Challenge continued at the Gary Player Country Club on Saturday.
Both players scored five-under 67s to share the 54-hole lead on 16-under 200.
The pair of 27-year-olds were also joint leaders at the halfway mark in this 12-man line-up featuring eight of the world's top 20 players.
Rose, the world No 8, is bidding to become the first tournament rookie to win here and pocket the US$1.2 million first prize, while world No. 22 Immelman made his debut last year when he was seventh behind winner Jim Furyk of the US.
While most would like to think the final round will be a two-man race between Rose and Immelman as third-placed Ernie Els is five off the pace, world No. 5 Els himself would have nothing of it.
The big South African is capable of some explosive golf, especially when it comes to chasing the leaders on the final day and he has made up as many as six shots in the last round before to win.
Rose was trailing playing partner Immelman by three strokes with five holes to go on Saturday but played those holes in three-under with birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th followed by solid pars at the long and treacherous par-four 17th and 18th holes.
By contrast, Immelman stumbled coming in, with a bogey at the last dropping him back into share of the lead on 16-under.
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