Branden Grace resumed a commanding position at the top of the Alfred Dunhill Championship leaderboard when the final round began at Leopard Creek Country Club.
The South African, who won all four of his previous European Tour titles during a remarkable 2012 season, had been five clear at the halfway stage after following a sparkling opening 62 with a round of 66.
However, a third round 72 kept him 16 under par and saw Dane Lucas Bjerregaard close to within one of the lead.
That advantage swiftly doubled when Bjerregaard bogeyed the first after finding a greenside bunker, and Grace birdied the second after an excellent pitch to tap-in range to pull further clear.
A birdie from five feet at the fourth saw Grace race to 18 under for the week, and the 26 year old had pulled four clear of Bjerregaard – who had produced a remarkable third shot at the fourth to save par after driving into the shrubbery – and last week’s winner Danny Willett.
Englishman Willett had birdied the first from 20 feet, but then carved his drive right into bushes at the second and bogeyed to remain 14 under.
Grace did well to save par from sand at the short fifth, but Bjerregaard up-and-down for birdie at the driveable sixth.
However, the 23 year old Dane was dealt a major setback at the short seventh when he found the water and ran up a triple bogey six.
Grace failed to get up-and-down there and bogeyed, but at 17 under remained four ahead of Willett, with England’s Andrew Johnston alongside Bjerregaard in third on 12 under.
