JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- South African Martin Maritz, playing in the hometown if his more well-known countryman Ernie Els, carded a 9-under 63 Saturday to open a two-shot over Englishman Mark Foster after the third round of the Dunhill Championship.
Hoping to play regularly on the European Tour, Maritz posted his score just hours after Els also shot a 63 to move into a four-way tie for fourth. A victory here will give the 24-year-old Maritz a two-year exemption.
"In about 24 hours my life can change," said Maritz, who posted a 64 in the second round Friday and is at 17-under 199 through 54 holes. "Winning was definitely my goal coming into this week and hopefully I'll be sitting here tomorrow with good news."
Foster, the winner of the European Challenge Tour last season, fired a 7-under 65 to secure a spot in Sunday's final pairing with Maritz.
Sandeep Grewal, a 20-year-old Englishman whose grandfather played field hockey for India in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, posted a 4-under 68 and is alone in third at 202.
Els, a two-time U.S. Open winner who last won this tournament in 1998, is tied wih Paul McGinley, Roger Wessels and Justin Rose, last year's runner-up.
With eight birdies over his first 11 holes, Maritz threatened to break 60 -- a feat he once accomplished in a non-competitive round -- before cooling off over the final eight holes. Maritz also carded a 64 in last week's South African Open.
"To shoot two 64s and a 63 in a week's span is a first for me," he said. "I'm very excited about my golf at the moment and I think I can still improve. I led at this stage at the South African PGA last year and finished third, so I think I will be more comfortable in the lead this time."
Like Els, Maritz played rugby as a schoolboy. Since taking up golf full-time, he has tried to emulate Els' swing.
Els recovered from a 72 on Friday with nine birdies and his round was highlighted by an eagle on the closing hole. However, he had bogeys on the two par-3s on the front.
The luckiest shot of the day was turned in by South African James Kingston, who hooked a tee-shot into a tree on the par-3 15th. But the ball bounced through the branches, landed on the green and rolled into the cup for the unlikeliest of holes-in-one.
Kingston is eight shots off the pace after shooting a 1-under 71.
