Staff WriterCaitlyn Macnab will carry a one-shot lead into the final round of the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions at Royal Johannesburg, though Saturday’s third round made it abundantly clear that nobody is being handed the silverware with a ribbon and a polite handshake.
The past season’s R&A Rookie of the Year on the Sunshine Ladies Tour signed for a third-round 70 on Royal Johannesburg’s East Course to reach five under par. That was enough to keep her one clear of Luis Carrera, the Sunshine Tour’s 2025/26 Fortress Rookie of the Year, and recent SunBet Challenge-Sun Boardwalk winner Justin Walters.
A leaderboard containing Macnab, Carrera and Walters is not so much a comfort blanket as a small electrical fire. Carrera shot the round of the day with a 65, while Walters added a 70 and now has the faint look of a man who knows exactly where the back door is if this tournament starts creaking open.
Macnab Starts Fast, Then Has To Fight
Macnab began Saturday with the sort of opening burst that makes everyone else briefly consider taking up bowls. Four birdies in her first six holes put her three shots clear at the turn, her golf sharp, tidy and apparently allergic to nonsense.
Then came the wobble.
A double-bogey at the 10th, followed by bogeys at the 13th and 17th, dragged the field back into the conversation. Golf, being golf, has a habit of tapping players on the shoulder just when they are starting to look too comfortable.
But Macnab had the last word of the day, birdieing the 18th to edge back in front. It was not a flawless round. It may prove to be a more valuable one than that.
“I got off to a good start which was ideal as I was hitting the ball well. Then I went into a bit of wobble in the middle of my round but managed to turn it around by finishing with a birdie.
All in all, I am happy with the day. Going into the final day with a lead is always a positive, I am grateful to be in the position, and I am hungry to keep fighting tomorrow” Macnab said.
Carrera Produces The Round Of The Day
Carrera’s 65 changed the complexion of the Waterfall City Tournament of Champions rather dramatically. His front nine featured two eagles, the sort of statistical flourish that tends to make scoreboards sit up straighter.
It was a proper charge, not a gentle shuffle. The Sunshine Tour’s 2025/26 Fortress Rookie of the Year moved to four under par and into a share of second, one behind Macnab.
For a player carrying rookie-season attention, this was a timely reminder that he is not merely collecting experience. He is collecting birdies and eagles, too, which tend to be rather more useful on a Sunday afternoon.
Walters Lurks With Familiar Intent
Alongside Carrera sits Walters, also on four under after a third-round 70. That score may not have been spectacular, but Walters hardly needs reminding how to close. He won the SunBet Challenge-Sun Boardwalk tournament two weeks ago and remains very much within striking distance at Royal Johannesburg.
“This tournament is quite unique – playing nine holes twice is different,” said Walters.
The format has added a peculiar rhythm to the week. Royal Johannesburg’s East Course is providing the stage, but the repeated nine-hole loop and mixed nature of the event give it a slightly different tactical flavour. Players are seeing the same shapes twice, but not necessarily the same questions.
“It’s quite tricky, especially with the mixed nature of the event and the use of different tees. It is however nice to have the change. I am enjoying it. I played really well when I won the SunBet Challenge at Humewood, but this week I wouldn’t say that I have been playing great.
It’s been solid but I haven’t been able to piece it all together on a day as yet. It’s been a bit of a mental struggle the whole week. You have to stay patient out there and I have been able to do that reasonably well.”
That patience may matter as much as power on Sunday. Walters knows the scoring opportunities are there, but he also knows the wrong kind of ambition can end up wearing a double-bogey hat and looking confused.
“The final round will be key to take advantage of the par-fives, but overall the backbone of the course is holes one-through-five, or 10-through-14. If you can play those holes solid and take a run at the par-fives, you can compete. That will be my goal and then knock in a few birdies.”
A Crowded Chase At Royal Johannesburg
Behind the leading three, the chasing pack is close enough to be more than decorative. Deon Germishuys and Altin van der Merwe both shot 68, Herman Loubser posted 69, and Gabrielle Venter added a 71. All four sit tied for fourth on three under par, just two shots off Macnab’s lead.
That gives Sunday’s final round a pleasingly awkward shape. Macnab has the advantage, but not the luxury. Carrera has momentum, Walters has recent winning muscle, and the group at three under has just enough room to become thoroughly inconvenient.
The Waterfall City Tournament of Champions supported by Attacq and WCMC now has precisely the kind of final-round ingredients tournament golf requires: a leader with nerve to prove, a rookie making noise, a proven winner hovering nearby, and a course capable of making calm people mutter into their yardage books.
Macnab’s birdie at the last gave her the lead. Sunday will decide whether it also gave her the launchpad.
