Laurie Canter and Dylan Naidoo are tied for the lead heading into the final round.
Laurie Canter overcame a challenging beginning to his third round, recording a score of 68 and securing a share of the lead going into the final day of the 2025 Investec South African Open Championship.
Local favorite Dylan Naidoo is tied with Canter at the top of the leaderboard, both sitting 14 under par. Naidoo completed his round in near darkness after a marathon day at Durban Country Club, carding two birdies and one bogey for a score of 71.
The in-form Englishman, Canter—who recently claimed victory in Bahrain and currently leads the International Swing standings—had to tackle 27 holes on Saturday. A delayed start pushed the completion of the second round beyond day two, necessitating this extended play.
Canter managed four birdies and a bogey over the final nine holes of his second round, placing him four shots behind the leader at the midway point. However, he began his third round with a double bogey on the very first hole, causing him to lose ground in the standings.
However, he made a remarkable comeback, scoring birdie-eagle on the second and third holes. Over his final 15 holes, he added five birdies and two bogeys to share the lead.
As the light began to fade at the 18th, Naidoo had a strong opportunity to seize the outright lead. He chipped his shot within five feet of the hole, exciting the large crowd and setting himself up for a promising birdie chance.
However, the putt narrowly missed going in, leaving him starting his final round tied with Canter.
Marco Penge of England is in third place, just one shot behind the co-leaders after scoring a 68.
After losing two shots on the first hole, Canter regained momentum in his third round with a birdie at the par-three second. He then delivered an impressive shot that could be considered one of the day’s best, setting up a short-range eagle putt on the third.
After a bogey on the short fourth, Canter came back strongly with three consecutive gains at the sixth, seventh, and eighth holes to charge into contention.
A ten-foot birdie on the 11th earned him a share of the lead, and he then took sole possession with a 12-footer at the 15th.
However, he gave back the shot on the 16th and parred the final two holes to finish in the clubhouse at 14 under.
Canter had a great time playing in the wind on Saturday, expressing: “The golf course transformed into quite a different challenge with the wind. It was incredibly fun to play and presented such an excellent test.”
I enjoy seeing the course in windy conditions because I believe that’s how it’s truly meant to be played.
This tournament is steeped in incredible history. I won the South African Amateur back in 2010, so winning the South African Open as well and achieving both titles would be particularly meaningful to me.
Naidoo began the day just one shot behind the leader and climbed to the top by sinking short birdie putts on both the third and tenth holes.
Despite making some impressive par saves on the back nine, he couldn’t maintain a clean scorecard and bogeyed the 15th hole.
Despite the sun setting rapidly, he managed to make par on the remaining holes, staying tied with Canter at the top. The home favorite is in pursuit of his first DP World Tour title—a victory that would hold significant meaning for him.
He mentioned, “I wasn’t even aware that I was tied for the lead, so that’s a positive. It felt like playing in a Test match out there; it was incredibly challenging.”
The wind was swirling, making conditions challenging. It required a lot of patience and embodied the essence of Test cricket. It turned out to be a tough day—I wished I could have delivered more birdies for the crowd, but that just wasn’t in line with how things unfolded.
