Branden Grace overcame a shaky start to his third round to remain five shots clear at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The South African, who won all four of his previous European Tour titles during a glorious 2012 campaign, had looked imperious in reaching 16 under par at the halfway stage with rounds of 62 and 66.
That had given the 26 year old a five shot lead over Francesco Molinari, but the Italian briefly reduced the arrears to three when he birdied the first and Grace bogeyed the long next.
However, the South African swiftly birdied the third and fourth to advance to 17 under par at Leopard Creek and restore his five shot lead over his Italian playing partner.
England’s Danny Willett, the winner of last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge, had birdied the second and fourth to reach 11 under and sit third, but Charl Schwartzel’s chances of completing a hat-trick of wins in this event appeared over as he played his first 12 holes in five over par to slip 17 shots off the pace.
There were two-shot swings at both the sixth and seventh, with Molinari closing within three when he birdied and Grace bogeyed six, but the leader turning the tables at the short seventh.
Willett double bogeyed the ninth to slip alongside Shaun Norris on ten under.
