Dodd quick off the mark

Stephen Dodd made a firm bid for the South African Airways Open title after starting the morning with all guns blazing.

Welshman Dodd, who has been in contention all along and had to put up with some of the more difficult conditions on the course, took full advantage of the hot and windless tee-off time to move into a early joint lead with Denmark's Anders Hansen, also an early mover in the field.

Dodd played it safe on the first two holes before carding a magnificent eagle on three, following it up with an equally impressive birdie on four to be three under for the day after five holes.

Hansen was just as impressive, with the Dane holing birdies on two and five and recording an eagle on three to go four under for the day and make his play for the title.

The main talking point though was how South African young gun Charl Schwartzel burned up the Erinvale course early on Saturday to finish with 65 and give himself a chance if he can muster another charge on the final day.

Schwartzel's first two rounds were eminently forgettable, but his second-round 70 was a lot better than a windswept 77 on the first day.

Given his new-found confidence, the big crowd will be hoping that the local lad can do a lot to help give South Africa a home victory come Sunday night.

"This morning I said I've got a chance to make a good score and I just took advantage of the conditions," he said. "Hopefully it will blow this afternoon."

His latter comment is in reference to the afternoon gusts of wind which have made the course incredibly difficult later in the day to play.

"Last year in the event I had a poor start as well but came back in the last round with a 65 and finished third.

"Hopefully it is the same again this year. I just hit the ball very badly on the first day this year.

"If it blows like yesterday I could well be right up there at the end of the day."

Also enjoying the conditions after a horrific Friday was Scot Colin Montgomerie, who overcame his 78 in the second round with a workmanlike 69 to move him one under par, but still far off the leaders on day three.

Montgomerie's card would have looked a lot better had it not been for two bogeys on nine and 10 which dropped him back and made an extraordinary round look simply decent.

England's Justin Rose added a 68 to move to three under but will need a big charge on Sunday if he is to be with the leaders.

Things are looking a lot better for fellow Englishman David Carter, who went through nine holes for a four under 32 to move to five under for the tournament.

Leader Alastair Forsyth bogeyed the first to fall back to six under.