<p>Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill. Picture: GolfRSA</p>
Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill and Malone’s Matthew McClean have their work cut out to catch French world number 92 Martin Couvra in the final round of the South African Stroke Play Championship.
Couvra carded a five-under 67 in the third round on the Lakes Course at Mount Edgecombe Country Club and leads by four strokes from Hill, who shot a 74, and South Africa’s Jean Pierre van der Watt (70) and Scotland’s Matthew Wilson (69) on nine-under-par.
McClean, the reigning US Mid-Amateur champion, is a shot further back in a tie for fifth on four-under after a third-round 75.
Leading by a shot from McClean after 36 holes, Hill sandwiched birdies at the second, sixth and seventh between bogeys at the first and eighth to turn in one-under.
But he came home in three-over as he followed an eagle three at the 11th with back-to-back double-bogey sixes at the 12th and 14th and a bogey six at the 17th for his 74.
McClean had five bogeys and just two birdies in his 75.
Naas’ Robert Brazill shot 73 to share 19th in two-over with Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley tied 24th on three-over after a 76.
Castle’s Robert Moran shot 72 to share 31st on four-over with Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly and Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe joint 35th on five-over after rounds of 73 and 76, respectively.
South African Stroke Play Championship, Mount Edgecombe Country Club (Lakes Course, Par 72)
| Rank | Name | Club | Prev | Hole | Rd.3 | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Couvra | Dolce Fregate | -4 | 18 | -5 | -9 |
| T2 | Jean Pierre van der Watt | Humewood Golf Club | -3 | 18 | -2 | -5 |
| T2 | Joshua Hill | Galgorm Castle | -7 | 18 | 2 | -5 |
| T2 | Matthew Wilson | Forres GC | -2 | 18 | -3 | -5 |
| T5 | Gregor Graham | Blairgowrie | -2 | 18 | -2 | -4 |
| T5 | Jordan Burnand | Ebotse Golf & Country Estate | -3 | 18 | -1 | -4 |
| T7 | Matthew McClean | Malone | -6 | 18 | 3 | -3 |
| T7 | Shaurya Bhattacharya | Aepta GC | -2 | 18 | -1 | -3 |
| T7 | Tyron Davidowitz | Hermanus Golf Club | 1 | 18 | -4 | -3 |
| T7 | Conner Mackenzie | Randpark Golf Club | 0 | 18 | -3 | -3 |
| T7 | Jonathan Broomhead | Durban Country Club | 4 | 18 | -7 | -3 |
| T12 | Gregor Tait | Aldeburgh GC | 1 | 18 | -2 | -1 |
| T12 | Daniel Bennett | Silver Lakes Country Club | 2 | 18 | -3 | -1 |
| T14 | Altin van der Merwe | Bellville Golf Club | 2 | 18 | -2 | 0 |
| T14 | Aldrich Potgieter | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| T16 | Kyle de Beer | Port Elizabeth Golf Club | 6 | 18 | -5 | 1 |
| T16 | Meyer Pauw | Stellenbosch Golf Club | 3 | 18 | -2 | 1 |
| T16 | Christopher Bagnall | State Mines Country Club | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| T19 | Robert Brazill | Naas GC | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| T19 | Adel Balala | NGCC | -1 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| T19 | Matthew Lotz | Milnerton Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| T19 | Werner Deyzel | Woodhill Country Club | 0 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| T19 | Dylan Kayne | Pearl Valley Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| T24 | Pascal Gunther | Bryanston Country Club | -3 | 18 | 6 | 3 |
| T24 | Hugh Foley | Royal Dublin Golf Club | -1 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| T24 | Jamie Mann | Vilamoura GC | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| T24 | Astin Wade Arthur | Umhlali Country Club | -1 | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| T24 | Janko van der Merwe | Magaliespark Country Club | 7 | 18 | -4 | 3 |
| T24 | Martin Papworth | Heron Banks Golf Club | 1 | 18 | 2 | 3 |
| T24 | Matt Roberts | Royal Porthcowl Links | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| T31 | Jordan Wessels | Mooinooi Golf Club | 6 | 18 | -2 | 4 |
| T31 | Robert Moran | Castle Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 0 | 4 |
| T31 | Morris Schiefner | Fancourt Country Club | 5 | 18 | -1 | 4 |
| T31 | Rees Martin Emanuel | Country Club Johannesburg | 3 | 18 | 1 | 4 |
| T35 | Filip Sakota | Royal Jhb And Kensington GC | 2 | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| T35 | Ivan Verster | Pinnacle Point Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 2 | 5 |
| T35 | Richard Knightly | Royal Dublin Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| T35 | Peter O'Keeffe | Douglas GC | 1 | 18 | 4 | 5 |
| T35 | Thomas Austin | Murhof GC | 4 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| T35 | Zachary Chegwidden | Orsett GC | 6 | 18 | -1 | 5 |
| T41 | Kayle Wykes | CMR Golf Club | 3 | 18 | 3 | 6 |
| T41 | Njoroge Kibugu | Bellville Golf Club | 2 | 18 | 4 | 6 |
| T41 | Oliver Goldhill | Magaliespark Country Club | 1 | 18 | 5 | 6 |
| T41 | Stals Swart | Silver Lakes Country Club | 2 | 18 | 4 | 6 |
| T45 | Tiaan Tibshraeny | Kirkwood Golf Club | 5 | 18 | 2 | 7 |
| T45 | Mark Stockdale | West Lancashire | 6 | 18 | 1 | 7 |
| T45 | Amilkar Bhana | Country Club Johannesburg | 6 | 18 | 1 | 7 |
| T45 | Charl Barnard | Centurion Country Club | 7 | 18 | 0 | 7 |
| T49 | Craig Jacobs | Atlantic Beach Links | 6 | 18 | 2 | 8 |
| T49 | Harimohan Singh | Noida GC | 6 | 18 | 2 | 8 |
| T49 | Damian Osner | Simola Golf & Country Estate | 7 | 18 | 1 | 8 |
| T49 | Warwick Purchase | Benoni Country Club | 4 | 18 | 4 | 8 |
| T49 | Jan−Hendrik Nieuwoudt | Mossel Bay Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 1 | 8 |
| T49 | Dian Wilmot | Royal Durban Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 4 | 8 |
| 55 | Travis Procter | Durbanville Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 2 | 9 |
| T56 | Vian Jansen van Vuuren | The Els Club, Copperleaf | 5 | 18 | 5 | 10 |
| T56 | Keagan Crosbie | Centurion Country Club | 7 | 18 | 3 | 10 |
| T58 | Itai Cohen | IMG Academy | 0 | 18 | 11 | 11 |
| T58 | Grant Labuschagne | Randpark Golf Club | 4 | 18 | 7 | 11 |
| T58 | Simon du Plooy | Krugersdorp Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 4 | 11 |
| T58 | Jean du Toit | Eagle Canyon | 5 | 18 | 6 | 11 |
| T58 | Travis Ladner | Eagle Canyon | 6 | 18 | 5 | 11 |
| T58 | Todd Parker | Omeya Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 4 | 11 |
| T58 | Akhil Maduray | Mount Edgecombe CC | 5 | 18 | 6 | 11 |
| T58 | Christiaan Heyman | Bloemfontein Golf Club | 7 | 18 | 4 | 11 |
| 66 | Vukasin Suturovic | Kingswood Golf Estate | 6 | 18 | 6 | 12 |
| 67 | Johann Christiaan Klopper | Silver Lakes Country Club | 4 | 18 | 11 | 15 |
| 68 | Vinamra Anand | Hyderabad | 6 | 18 | 10 | 16 |
| 69 | Bryce Bibby | Royal Durban Golf Club | 6 | 18 | 12 | 18 |
| 70 | Thomas Lecomte | ASGI | 5 | 18 | 14 | 19 |
Article Link: Hill and McClean chasing French star Couvra in South Africa - News - Irish Golf Desk