Victor Dubuisson maintained his two-shot lead in the early stages of day three of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.
Low-scoring conditions returned to Gary Player Country Club for the third round of the seventh Rolex Series event of the season after high winds and a near two-and-a-half hour storm delay had tested the field on Friday.
Frenchman Dubuisson picked up a shot in his first four holes to get to seven under and lead the way from home favourite Darren Fichardt and Scotsman Scott Jamieson.
English pair Ross Fisher and Tyrrell Hatton were then at five under alongside two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer and defending champion Alex Noren.
Hatton was in the penultimate group of the day and he got off to an excellent start, holing a right-to-lefter from 15 feet on the first to join the group at four under, where he was soon joined by Jamieson who made a birdie on the second.
Kaymer holed a long putt on the second for a birdie of his own but he would need more of those to catch Dubuisson who, after sending his tee-shot on the first well right, hit a stunning recovery with a restricted back-swing to five feet for an opening birdie.
Noren had failed to get up and down from a bunker on the first to drop a shot but his second into the second was right over the flag as he bounced back with an eagle.
Fisher made a birdie on the same hole and that group in second had swelled to five.
Fichardt became the latest player to birdie the second and Jamieson hit a smart tee-shot into the par three fourth and holed a 20-footer to join him at five under.
Dubuisson missed the green on the third and when he failed to get up and down from the rough, the lead was down to one.
A second birdie of the day from Kaymer on the fifth had him briefly within two but Dubuisson hit an excellent tee-shot into the fourth to get back to seven under.
South African Haydn Porteous picked up five shots in his first 11 holes to sit at three under alongside two-time champion Lee Westwood who was one over after four.
