Erik van Rooyen and George Coetzee failed to make the most of moving day as they surrendered their positions in the Qatar Masters leaderboard.
Van Rooyen was the only South African over par in the third round.
The Challenge Tour graduate, who finished second at the Joburg Open, began the day one off the lead but finished out of the picture after a 74 at Doha Golf Club. Van Rooyen bogeyed the first two holes and dropped another on the 6th to plummet down the standings.
A birdie at the 9th – his third at that hole this week – helped ease the pain but a drop at the 10th and another at the 12th was enough to see his challenge end. He finished with six pars for a 74.
Van Rooyen was then overtaken by George Coetzee and his good friend Jacques Kruyswijk. Coetzee has a phenomenal scoring record around this track but that was in jeopardy after his opening birdie was offset by a double at the 2nd and drops at both the 3rd and 5th.
Cue fightback.
Coetzee birdied the 7th and 9th to turn just one over par but had to wait until the 16th for his next gain. His birdie on the 16th was backed up by another on the next before he closed with a par for a 71 to sit T16, six shots back of English duo Eddie Pepperell and Oliver Fisher.
Kruyswijk is two behind Coetzee after his 70 on Saturday, equalling the best round with Richard Sterne (-6 alongside Van Rooyen).
Justin Walters and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are -5 with a round to play.
Photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images
