(Reuters) - South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo produced a superb front nine for third round score of 66 and a share of the lead with Englishman Eddie Pepperell (69) on 11 under-par in the DP World Tour’s Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy Le Golf on Saturday.
The pair are one shot ahead of the Demark's Jacob Skov Olesen (69), with South Africa’s Jovan Rebula (67) in fourth on nine under-par.
Naidoo, 25, carded six birdies in his first seven holes of the round, before a bogey on the ninth. He added two more birdies on the back nine but also dropped a shot on the par-five 18th to end on a low note.
"I had to focus and find the competitor in me. The front nine was good, the back nine a grind, but I am happy with the result overall," Naidoo said.
"I tend to like courses where good driving can set you up nicely and my iron play has been good lately. I found the putter today as well."
Naidoo’s best previous finish on the DP World Tour is tied 11th at the same competition last year.
"There are still 18 holes to play, a long way to go. I am excited to be in this position, I have never been here before," he said.
Pepperell, 33, who has two previous wins on tour, both in 2018, is using the trip to Mauritius as a belated honeymoon with caddie wife Jennifer and would dearly love to celebrate a win.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
