Borja Virto will go in search of a first HotelPlanner Tour victory for nearly ten years after moving into a share of the lead ahead of the final round of the Cell C Cape Town Open in association with Honor.
The Spaniard entered the third round one shot off the pace but after making a birdie at the last he signed for a one-under-par round of 71 to move alongside Italian Filippo Celli, England’s Jamie Rutherford, South African Bryce Easton and America’s Matt Oshrine on 11 under par at Royal Cape Golf Club.
The 34-year-old won the D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge and Hainan Open in 2015 and despite being unable to get over the line since, he remains confident he can get the job done in the Mother City tomorrow.
“It was tricky today with the wind,” he said. “I got it wrong a few times but just managed to stay patient and it was great to finish with a birdie at the last. I had to work for my opportunities, and I made some very nice putts.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow because it’s been so long since I managed to win out here. I’ve come close a few times but hopefully I can give myself a good chance coming down the stretch tomorrow afternoon.
“I will try to stick to my plan and try to go as low as possible. It would be very nice to win but we have a long season to play and it’s important that I play consistently well.”
Co-leader Easton carded a five under par round of 67 to join the top of the leaderboard and he is grateful for the playing opportunities created at the start of the 2025 season, with this week being the third of four consecutive co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour in South Africa.
“I played nicely today,” he said. “I kept the ball in play and missed in the right spots. It feels great to be back in South Africa and it’s the perfect place to start the season. I’ve put in a lot of work recently and now it’s time to start climbing the ladder again.”
Englishman George Bloor, Italian Stefano Mazzoli, Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Follet-Smith and South Africans Lyle Rowe and Justin Walters share sixth place on nine under par.
The final round will get underway at 6:50 am local time, with Easton and Oshrine teeing it up in the final group at 11:50 am.
