Oliver Wilson thrashed himself into contention at the Nedbank Challenge with a third round 33-34=67 that earned him a 54-hole total of 8-under 208, just three swings back of Zander Lombard’s lead in a tie for fourth with Marcus Kinhult.
What a superb lap from the Englishman at the Gary Player CC in Sun City, one that re-establishes him as a comeback performer this season. He made two bogeys, but on this tough course that is often inevitable. What mattered was that he poured on the birdies. The errors came at the 11th and 16th holes, the par breakers at the second, seventh, ninth, tenth, 14th, 15th and 17th. He is seeking a fifth top five of the season and a first win since the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which in itself was a huge comeback win. “I’m going to keep building, keep doing what I’m doing, keep hitting fairways,” he said afterward and then added, of his career: “It’s been up and down, extreme highs and extreme lows. It gives you perspective. I’ve got a son, I realize golf isn’t that important. It’s just a game.”