Logjam at top of Africa Open leader board

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EAST LONDON, South Africa, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Trevor Fisher, Jr. closed with three consecutive birdies Thursday for a five-way tie for the lead at the European PGA Tour's Africa Open in South Africa.

Fisher, Mark Haastrup, Titch Moore, Patrik Sjoland and Richard Sterne each shot 7-under-par 66 and have a 1-stroke lead atop a cramped leader board. Thomas Aiken, Keith Horne, Charl Schwartzel and Tjaart van der Walt are each one stroke back at 6-under 67 and 16 golfers are tied at 68.

Fisher was among golfers who started their round at the ninth hole and had four birdies in a six-hole span. He bogeyed No. 18 but got that shot back with a birdie at the third hold. After a pair of pars, he ran off birdies at Nos. 6-8 for a share of the lead.

Haastrup and Moore also each had eight birdies and a bogey in their rounds. Sterne had a string of three consecutive birdies in his bogey-free round. Sjoland was also bogey-free and had an eagle at the par-5, 544-yard 15th hole.