TSHWANE, 5 May 2016 – Defending champion Gerlou Roux made his move in the third round to strengthen his bid for back-to-back titles in the SA Mid-Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Silver Lakes Country Club on Thursday.

Roux reversed a bogey start with birdie at the second and added gains at seven, eight, 14 and 18 to o leapfrog overnight leader Shaun Stapleton for pole position with a four-under-par 68.

The country’s number one ranked mid-amateur grabbed a share of a three-way tie for the lead with an opening 68, but slipped to a tie for second with Ryan Dreyer after returning a 73 in round two.

The Bellville golfer leads the field at seven under 209 and will start the final round with a one shot lead on Stapleton and a two stroke advantage over Dreyer.

Stapleton from Wanderers offset two bogeys with a trio of birdies for a 71, while Killarney’s Dreyer took 16 holes to get the putter hot enough to break a run of straight pars with back-to-back birdies at the closing holes for a 70.

Westlake’s Elton James, who lost out to Roux at Victoria Country Club last year, stayed in the mix with a 70 and lags just three off the pace.

THIRD ROUND SCORES
209 Gerlou Roux 68 73 68
210 Shaun Stapleton 68 71 71
211 Ryan Dreyer 71 70 70
212 Elton James 69 73 70
216 Josef Fourie 70 76 70
217 Robert Gouws 68 75 74
219 Johann Nel 75 72 72
220 Alex van Heerden 75 76 69; Pieter Cooper 75 74 71; Jannie Bronkhorst 74 72 74
221 Danie Viljoen 72 75 74; David Muller 72 74 75
222 Dylan Keylock 76 74 72
223 Donovan Pearse 75 75 73; Gustav Verster 73 76 74
225 Menno Malherbe 76 75 74; Chase Manna 70 83 72; Cameron Johnston 70 81 74
226 Jauqo Jacobs 76 79 71
227 Stefan Blommaert 77 74 76; Tyran van Lieshout 75 78 74; Craig Collins 75 74 78; Jean-Pierre Meyer 74 80 73; Sean Olfsen 74 73 80; Jan Delport 71 79 77

PHOTO – SA Mid-Amateur Championship defending champion Gerlou Roux; credit Ernest Blignault