Malelane, South Africa – Charl Schwartzel fired his second straight 8-under 64 on Saturday and jumped 10 strokes clear of the field at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Schwartzel, the 2005 champion, finished 54 holes at 21-under-par 195. He bettered the tournament's 54-hole scoring record by three strokes, and only needs to shoot even-par in the final round to match the 72-hole tournament scoring mark.
"It is a nice comfort, and I'd rather be ten ahead than nine ahead. Whatever lead you can build is great," said Schwartzel. "We've all seen what can happen in this game. I don't want to think about it - if all goes well I'm going to celebrate."
Gregory Bourdy entered the day tied for the lead, but stumbled to a 2-over 74. He is alone in second place at minus-11 at Leopard Creek Country Club.
Branden Grace and Kristoffer Broberg both carded 5-under 67s. They share third place with Steve Webster (70) at 10-under-par 206.
Keith Horne (68) is alone in sixth at minus-nine, while Garth Mulroy (70) is one of 11 players tied for 10th at minus-7. Mulroy won this event the last time it was played in 2011.
Schwartzel, who won in Thailand by 11 strokes last week, got his round going with a 2-putt birdie on the par-5 second. He dropped his approach shot seven feet from the hole on the fourth and converted that birdie chance.
The South African drove the green at the short par-4 sixth, but only managed a 2-putt birdie from six feet away. Schwartzel stuffed his tee shot inside two feet at No. 7 and made his third birdie in a row at the eighth, where he rolled in a 13-footer.
Schwartzel stumbled to a bogey on the ninth. After a pair of pars, his 18-foot birdie try at the 12th found the bottom of the cup to push his lead to five.
The 2011 Masters champion followed with a 7-foot birdie putt at 13 and another birdie on No. 14. He got up and down from a bunker for birdie on the par-5 15th and was suddenly nine clear of the field.
Schwartzel's tee shot at the 16th found water and that led to a bogey. At the par-5 closing hole, he pitched his third to two feet and kicked that in for a closing birdie.
"I'm thinking well out there. I'm not hitting my driver well, but my irons are good. I'm placing the ball in the right spots and converting putts. I'm not flushing it, but I'm still scoring, and you can still win tournaments that way," Schwartzel stated. "You don't need you're A-game to score well. There's a big difference between flushing the golf ball and scoring."
Bourdy faltered to a bogey at the first, but tried to keep pace with three birdies in a 5-hole span from the second. However, he bogeyed three of the first five holes on the back nine to fall. He found water with his second at the last and that led to a closing bogey.
NOTES: Along with his win at this event, Schwartzel has also finished second four times ... Horne made a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th for the second straight round.
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