Zander Lombard fires brilliant 63 to lead at Ras Al Khaimah Championship

South African one stroke clear of Rasmus Hojgaard going into final round

Zander Lombard of South Africa plays his second shot into the second green during the third round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club on February 4, 2023. Getty

Zander Lombard shakes hands with Rikuya Hoshino on the 18th green. Getty

Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark prepares to take a drop on the 18th hole. Getty

Daniel Gavins of England plays his second shot into the second green. Getty

Rasmus Hojgaard plays his second shot into the 16th green. Getty

Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark plays his second shot into the 15th green. Getty

Zander Lombard on the 18th green. Getty

Zander Lombard fired a flawless 63 in the third round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship to head into the final day with a one-shot lead as he goes in search of a first DP World Tour title.

The 28-year-old South African went into the weekend four shots off the lead but made six birdies on the front nine on Saturday to catapult himself into contention.

And further birdies at the 12th, 17th and 18th – as well as a stunning par save on the 14th – saw Lombard reach 16 under par and take over at the top of the leaderboard.

Dane Rasmus Hojgaard was Lombard’s nearest challenger on 15 under after managing to save par at the last despite finding the water.

England’s Daniel Gavins found himself a shot further back in third courtesy of his bogey-free 68, which contained two birdies on each nine.

Lombard showed great resilience on day three, chipping in from just off the eighth green at the second attempt after only managing to nudge his first try a few yards forward.

And he was happy with his performance, saying: “It feels good, did a lot of things really well.

“Kept it steady, kept it solid, managed to hole a few putts and get some good momentum going for nine under par.

“You don’t shoot that every day. Felt solid straight out the blocks, started birdie-par-birdie. Just kept the mistakes off the card – that’s the key to a good round.

“I’ve knocked on a lot of doors so it would be good to get over the line (for a win), but we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”