Home favourite Charl Schwartzel will take a one-stroke lead into today's final round of the South African Open after carding a third-round 69 for a 15-under-par total of 201 that sets him up for a title that has previously eluded him.

The 29-year-old Schwartzel, who is the highest-ranked South African golfer but has never won his country's open championship, leads from Italian Marco Crespi and Dane Morten Orum Madsen after five birdies in his round in Johannesburg yesterday.

Crespi had shared the overnight lead on Friday with Schwartzel but slipped one stroke back as he battled with his putting. Madsen hit a 69 for a 14-under total of 202. Former champion Hennie Otto, who won in 2011, hit the best round yesterday despite taking seven shots at the ninth hole of the Glendower Country Club course.

Otto moved into fourth place after birdying seven of the last eight holes for 65.

Twice US Open winner Retief Goosen was six shots off the lead.

Elsewhere, Australia's Jason Day shot to the individual lead of the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf at Royal Melbourne, as he eyes the lucrative prize on offer.

Day shot a third-round five-under 66, to catapult himself to nine-under overall and the outright lead - one clear of Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who carded an even-par 71 yesterday.

The local hopeful, Day is chasing the $1.2million prize for first in the individual competition, while he might also help Australia win the World Cup alongside Adam Scott - as together they lead the team competition at 11 under.

The United States are second on 10 under, with Matt Kuchar in third place and Kevin Streelman in fifth.

Kuchar is six under overall, while Streelman fell off the pace with a three-over third round to leave himself on four under.

Italy's Francesco Molinari is fourth, after his five-under 66 took him to five under overall.

The team competition is a two-horse race, with Japan well back in third spot at four under with Hideto Tanihara in a tie for sixth and compatriot Ryo Ishikawa equal 12th.

Tanihara joins Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell on three under, after the latter carded a solid four-under 67.

Scott continued his comeback after his horror-show opening-round 75, carding his second straight two-under 68 to be three-under overall and within striking distance.

Tied with Scott are Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, Stuart Manley from Wales and Portugal's Ricardo Santos, although Manley was arguably the story of the day yesterday. He celebrated winning a Mercedes for hitting a hole-in-one, only to then be denied the luxury car. To add insult to injury Manley - who was second overall at that stage - followed up his ace by taking septuple-bogey 11 at his next hole.

The 34-year-old had minutes earlier revelled in his rare hole-in-one moment when his tee shot to the 161-metre third took a couple of bounces before dropping in the middle of the cup.

Manley celebrated by high-fiving his caddy, playing partner and members from the crowd and even went over to take a closer look at the silver Mercedes, parked behind the tee, that he believed he had just won.

But the world number 346 was then informed the car was only available for a hole-in-one on the final day of the tournament, meaning he had missed out.

Manley eventually finished his eventful day with a one-over 72, before taking to Twitter to try and convince Mercedes to reconsider the decision to deny him the car. He retweeted a post from one of his followers, which read: "Come on @MercedesBenz please give @stu-manley the Merc for his Hole in One. £MercForManley".