Staff WriterThe Mopani Zambia Open is now Jason Roets’ to win, though Saturday at Nkana Golf Club suggested it may not leave quietly, politely, or without chewing a few fingernails down to the cuticle.
Roets will head into Sunday’s final round with a two-stroke lead over Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix after a third round that began like a coronation and briefly threatened to become a small golfing bonfire. The South African signed for a one-over-par 73, his highest round of the week, to sit on seven under par.
That leaves him in front, but not exactly lounging in a deckchair.
Roets Starts Fast Before Nkana Bites Back
For a while, Roets looked as if he might take the tournament by the scruff of the neck and shake loose everyone still pretending to be involved. He opened with back-to-back birdies, moved quickly to 10 under par, and gave the leaderboard the faintly uncomfortable look of a contest being filed under “pending”.
Then came the seventh. A bogey.
Then came the par-four eighth. A double-bogey.
Golf, being a game designed by people with a complicated relationship with happiness, had reintroduced itself.
Roets tried to regain control across the back nine, but bogeys at the 14th and 16th holes dragged him back level with Viallaneix, who had already posted a round of 70 to take the clubhouse lead on five under par.
For Roets, the round had gone from sleek to smoky. Then, just when the engine sounded like it might cough once and expire, he found his rescue act.
Late Eagle Gives Roets Breathing Space
The pivotal moment arrived at the par-five 17th, where Roets made eagle and restored the kind of breathing room every tournament leader craves late on a Saturday.
That eagle gave him a two-shot cushion and moved him to seven under par, enough to keep Viallaneix at arm’s length heading into the final round. It was not a flawless day. It was not especially tidy. But it was, in its own slightly chaotic way, effective.
And in tournament golf, effective is often the chap who gets the last handshake.
Roets is chasing his first Sunshine Tour victory, which gives Sunday its obvious personal edge. Winning for the first time is rarely a gentle process. It tends to arrive with heavy legs, dry lips and the sort of internal dialogue no sports psychologist would willingly transcribe.
Viallaneix Chases French History In Zambia
Viallaneix, meanwhile, has a compelling story of his own. The Frenchman missed out on his PGA Tour card and has come to the Sunshine Tour for the opportunities it provides. Now he has the chance to become the first French winner of this historic national Open.
There is also a personal thread tying him to Zambia.
“Zambia holds a special place for me because one of my closest family friends is from Lusaka. If I can win in him home country it would be incredible,” he said.
Viallaneix’s third-round 70 was built less on brilliance than stubbornness, which is often the better material when a golf course starts asking impolite questions.
“I just fought hard. My ball striking wasn’t the best today but I just stayed steady all day. I made some good momentum putts when I needed to. I’m excited for the final round. It’s a good golf course and very demanding off the tee. You’ve got to hit it straight. But I like it.”
That final line may be the most revealing. Nkana Golf Club is not handing out favours. It is demanding accuracy from the tee and punishing drift, indecision and loose geometry. Viallaneix likes it, which is either admirable confidence or the early sign of a man who enjoys arguing with crocodiles.
Thomas And Porteous Stay In The Hunt
Behind the leading pair, Keagan Thomas made one of the day’s more convincing moves with a four-under-par 68. His round included five birdies and just one bogey, lifting him to four under par.
That was good enough to join first-round leader Haydn Porteous, who carded a 71, in joint third place.
Porteous remains close enough to irritate the leaders, and Thomas has the advantage of momentum, which in golf is a marvellous thing right up until someone mentions it. Both will need help from the front two, but at three shots behind Viallaneix and within range of Roets, they are not merely decorative names on the leaderboard.
Sunday Set For A Proper Finish
The shape of Sunday is wonderfully clear. Roets has the lead and the chance to become a first-time Sunshine Tour winner. Viallaneix has the chance to make French history at the Mopani Zambia Open. Thomas and Porteous have enough daylight to believe something dramatic could still happen.
Roets will know the job is not complete. Saturday proved that a comfortable lead at Nkana Golf Club can evaporate with the speed of a badly struck four-iron into a warm African breeze. Yet it also proved something just as useful: when the round began to fray, he still found an eagle when he needed one most.
That is not a bad habit to have before a final round.
The Mopani Zambia Open now has exactly what every tournament wants: a leader with something to prove, a challenger with history in his sights, and a golf course quite capable of making both of them feel as if they have misplaced the instruction manual.
