Haydn Porteous will head into Sunday’s final round of the KCM Golf Challenge at the Nchanga Golf Club in Zambia as the overall leader on 16-under par, one shot clear of Sunshine Tour rookie Oliver Goldhill.
Fresh from a joint third place at last week’s Mopani Zambia Open, Porteus made a big statement during Saturday’s third round, powering his way to a round of eight under par 64 to take him to the top of the leaderboard.
The three-time Sunshine Tour champion Porteous started his strong run with four birdies over five holes on the front nine, followed by another five birdies and a drop shot on his way to the clubhouse and the overall lead.
Sunshine Tour rookie Oliver Goldhill, who was leading the tournament after the first round, made his intentions clear in search of a maiden Sunshine Tour title. Goldhill started his round with back-to-back birdies on the opening two holes before dropping his only shot on the par-three third hole. Another five birdies followed for a round of six under par 66, only one shot behind tournament leader Porteous on 15-under par.
“Today was really good; I hit the ball very well. That gave me some good opportunities. I made some putts and got a few lucky and unlucky breaks, but I kept going knowing I was up there” Goldhill said.
The South African duo of Porteous and Goldhill will bring an exciting mix of experience and youth to the final round.
“It will be quite cool to play with Haydn (Porteous) tomorrow. I’ve played a few times with him last year on the Big Easy Tournaments so it will be a nice pairing and I am looking forward to it.”
“It’s a big moment for my career; it’s my first time in this sort of situation on the big stage. I am looking forward to giving it a crack tomorrow,” Goldhill said.
Germany’s Allen John, who finished joint second at The Courier Guy Play-Offs, played himself into a strong position to challenge for the title. John signed for a bogey-free round of six under par 66 that moved him into third place on 14-under par, one shot clear of South African Kyle Barker (69).