Golf: Donaldson challenging the leaders

Jamie Donaldson stormed into contention for his maiden European Tour title in the third round of the South African Open in Durban.

The 25-year-old Welshman was not qualified to play on any tour at the start of last year.

But he received invites to play on the Challenge Tour and won the BMW Russian Open in Moscow on his way to finishing second in the Order of Merit.

That secured his card on the European Tour for this season - the top 15 qualifying - but not content with that, Donaldson then earned enough money from just seven starts on the main tour to secure fully exempt status for 2002.

Macclesfield-based Donaldson, who finished just one shot outside the play-off for the Wales Open at Celtic Manor in only his second European Tour event in August, began the day nine shots off the lead held by South African James Kingston at Durban Country Club.

But after just nine holes of his third round this morning he had reduced the deficit by more than half with a superb front nine of 31.

Birdies at the first and second were followed by a bogey on the fourth, but he bounced back in style with four birdies in the next five holes.

That took him to seven under par for the tournament and within four shots of the lead, with Kingston yet to begin his third round.