Scott Jamieson is hoping to finally get his hands on a victory trophy after muscling his way towards a double Durban success in the Volvo Champions event.
Jamieson snatched nine birdies in wet and miserable conditions on the Durban Country Club course in a score of 64 to be tied in second place on 11-under par.
South African Louis Oothuizen holed a 30-foot birdie putt at 18 in a round of 64 to move one clear of the 33-player field on 12-under par.
The current World No. 6 actually won a car when he and an amateur partner competing together in a special team event for the day.
Scott Jamieson delighted to put himself in contention to secure the ‘Durban Double’. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
But Oosthuizen, who owns a farm near Mosel Bay on the southern South Africa coast, did a deal with Volvo to swap the Volvo sedan for a £32,000 Volvo excavator.
He said: “I’ve been nagging my wife for a few years that I want something on the farm as there are a few stumps and things I need to get rid of.
“I knew if you made a hole-in-one at 15 you would win an excavator so when I won the car for the winning pro-amateur team, I spoke with Volvo and they agreed to swap the car for an excavator.
“And that’s why I stood over that putt on 18 for a bit longer than normal.”
Oosthuizen will now park the digger alongside a tractor after capturing the 2010 Open.
He said: “I’m just going to play around with it and I might dig myself a few bunkers.”
Jamieson capped his round with a hat-trick of birdies on each nine to set up a third round pairing with Oosthuizen, and two days after being paired with 2007 and 2008 Open winner, Padraig Harrington.
He said: “I seem to play well in the rain here in Durban.
“And in terms of the quality of the field here this week I am definitely comfortable in this environment and it’s certainly deeper than when I managed to win here in the city last month.”
Jamieson broke through to win a maiden European Tour title in capturing the inaugural Nelson Mandella Championship and in an event reduced to two ro unds due to rain.
However the Glaswegian is yet to see the specially commissioned and unique trophy featuring a likeness of the now 94-year old ‘Father of the South African Nation’.
Jamieson said: “I’ve not seen the trophy, yet and I’m not entirely sure if I get to keep it.
“I’m getting a specially signed Harold Riley painted portrait of Mr. Mandela that will arrive next week so that’s going to be a nice memento.
”I met Harold at the tournament and he’s the only person Mr. Mandela will agree to paint his portrait.”
Jamieson could very well get the chance to meet the present South African President, Jacob Zuma.
A 101st Africa National Congress (ANC) anniversary rally is taking place today (SAT) in the Kings Park Stadium right opposite the course and with Zuma to address the expected 80,000 crowd inside the Rugby Super 15 Natal Sharks home ground.
Zuma will then attend the afternoon play in the Euro 2m tournament.
And the celebrations were already in full swing late on Friday with music from the stadium drowning out spectator applause.
Although Jamieson indicated he was caught out on the 18th when there was a break in the music.
He said: “Despite all the noise I still managed to stay in the zone.
“But then I was standing over my tee shot at 18, the music had been on for a while and right when I pulled the trigger the music stopped.”
Officials revealed also players will be given a police escort from their hotels today (SAT) to avoid being caught-up in any traffic jams.
And if again victorious in South Africa’s third largest city Jamieson will collect £185,000 more than he won a month ago at Royal Durban.
As well, Volvo Champions officials indicated he will receive a replica of the specially commissioned glass trophy.
However of more immediate interest to Jamieson is firstly moving up one place and inside the top-100 on the World Rankings and a start in August’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
As well, if Jamieson picks up 37 spots he would move to 64th on the World Rankings and the assurance of contesting next month’s $US 8.75m WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship in Arizona.
He said: “The first goal is to get myself into the top-100 and then I could think about top-64 but then I would have to have four great weeks to do that.
“So it’s possible and it would be nice to play in the Match Play.”
Paul Lawrie posted a 70 to be among the five players sharing fourth place but six shots behind Jamieson on five under par.
