Bryson DeChambeau leads by two shots over Branden Grace (pictured) after a thrilling third round at LIV Golf South Africa, with both players shooting seven under 64 to head into the final round at The Club at Steyn City. Picture: LIV Golf
Image: LIV Golf
Bryson DeChambeau navigated a testing back nine to maintain his lead of two shots ahead of Branden Grace after the third round of LIV Golf SA at The Club at Steyn City on Saturday.
DeChambeau shot seven under 64 to move to 21 under heading into the final round. Paired in the final group with DeChambeau, Grace matched his opponent with a 64 of his own to rise to 19 under. In a tie for third on 18 under were Abraham Ancer and Jon Rahm. Also in the mix was Dean Burmester on 17 under alongside David Puig and Thomas Detry.
DeChambeau reeled off two birdies and two eagles in an electrifying opening 10 holes, before a string of pars on the back nine and a closing gain at the 18th as the chasing pack attempted to narrow the two-shot lead the American held at the halfway stage.
In the team competition, the SA quartet which makes up the Southern Guards lead by two, on 60 under, from Fireballs and Torque.
Earlier, DeChambeau started round three strongly with an up-and-down birdie from short right of the drivable par four first, the exact same spot he chipped in from for eagle in round two.
Meanwhile, playing partner Grace followed DeChambeau in for birdie to remain two behind.
Three holes in, Charles Howell III showed he wasn’t going anywhere as he drove the tricky par four fifth and sunk the 20-foot putt for eagle, as he joined DeChambeau on 15 under with four holes played.
Rahm, too, got off to a fast start with four birdies in his first five holes to pull within a shot. Grace then hit one of the shots of the tournament at the par five fourth as he struck a fairway wood perfectly for his second, which landed on the front of the green, and rolled up towards the flag, threatening for an albatross before ending a foot from the hole.
The tap-in for eaglel meant Grace made it a four-way tie for the lead between Rahm, DeChambeau, and Howell III.
The four-way tie for the lead was brief, though, as DeChambeau scrambled for birdie to get to -16 after four holes.
Rahm proceeded to drain a bomb on six for a birdie to make it minus five in his first six holes to once again join DeChambeau.
The American then showed his short game genius once more on the drivable par four fifth with a chip-in for eeagle from a tricky spot in the rough, just short of the green, to vault to 18 under, and the lead on his own again by two.
Another birdie at nine followed for Rahm for an opening six under 28 to get to one behind at 17-under as he made the turn.
The pair were level once more as Rahm birdied 10 to get to 18-under.
However, DeChambeau replied in fine fashion with an eagle three on 10 to get to 20-under as his two-shot cushion was restored yet again.
Rahm would also be joined in second place on the back nine, as Puig moved to six-under for the day and hit under 18-under with seven holes left to play.
Puig quickly moved into second on his own with his fourth birdie in a row at the 12th, as the lesser-known Spaniard was proving to be a dark horse.
A birdie at 14 would see Rahm join Puig in second place, but his first drop shot of the week followed at the next as fell back to 18 under.