It was a much better day for everyone on Saturday in the third round of the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and Sunshine Tour rookie Christiaan Burke took advantage of the good weather to card a superb seven-under-par 65 to climb into a share of eighth.
In the tournament played on the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, Burke, who is playing in it for the first time, made his round at Kingsbarns, supposedly the easiest of the three courses, count as he went bogey-free. He was on eight-under for the tournament, seven strokes off the lead which was held by Richard Mansell at 15-under.
Mansell benefitted from his amazing round in terrible conditions – wind and rain – on Friday when he carded a four-under-par 68 on the Old Course. The upshot of that is that he holds a four-stroke edge over Alex Noren of Sweden, Kiwi Ryan Fox and England’s Daniel Gavins.
Burke shared eighth with Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen. He was one shot clear of eight players in a share of 11th, including Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel of the United States and the gritty Scot, Robert MacIntyre.
Also in 11th on seven-under for the tournament was Oliver Bekker of South Africa, whoi had a three-under-par 69 at Kingsbarns.
Behind him, Louis Oosthuizen showed just how good he can be on the Old Course, where he won the Open Championship in 2010, as he made eight birdies and a bogey on his way to a seven-under 65. He climbed 44 places on the leaderboard into a share of 19th at six-under for the tournament.
Daniel van Tonder was a shot further back on five-under in a share of 25th after a good four-under 68 on the course reckoned the toughest of the three, Carnoustie.
Louis de Jager was on three-under, George Coetzee on two-under, and Jaco Ahlers, Casey Jarvis and Richard Sterne all made the cut on one-under.
The final round will be played on the Old Course.
