It might not have been the low round that he wanted, but a Saturday 70 at the Shell Houston Open moved Charl Schwartzel to 19th on five-under-par.
The Vereeniging local had trouble on the front nine and made a bogey on the fifth and a double on the sixth, but went on to shoot 33 on the stretch to rejoin the top 20.
A good Sunday will earn Schwartzel a decent result, but will also give him added confidence ahead of The Masters, where he won in 2011.
The highlight of his Saturday round was a 30-foot putt for birdie that he drained on the third hole. He made further birdies at the 10th, 12th, and 13th to finish the day with a respectable 70.
Tyrone van Aswegen was also tied for 19th place after carding 70 and will be keen to earn a good cheque this week and rise up the 2015/16 Money List.
Leading the tournament were Americans Jim Herman and Jamie Lovemark on 11-under-par, while power trio Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, and Russell Henley shared third on 10-under.
South African veterans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen reached the 54-hole mark in a share of 37th on three-under-par.
