Rory McIlroy birdied his last three holes to claim the clubhouse lead in the South African Open Championship third round at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.
The Northern Irishman produced a five under par 67 to go 11 under for the tournament, one shot better than Bernd Wiesberger.
McIlroy`s faultless round contained five birdies, four of them on the closing five holes.
Austrian Wiesberger - who is on The European Tour International Schedule 2009 after finishing tenth at Qualifying School - carded six birdies, a bogey and an eagle three at the third in his 65 to leap from a tie for 44th overnight into the top ten.
Halfway leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera is still out in front at 13 under having played ten holes, but his lead has been halved.
Lee Westwood is two under for the day and 12 under for the championship, a shot ahead of McIlroy, South African George Coetzee - one of many players looking to make it an eighth successive home winner of the tournament - and Northern Ireland`s Gareth Maybin.
World Number Ten Westwood birdied the first and the third of his first ten holes, while Coetzee was through 15 and Maybin 11.
