A timely last hole birdie and also some ‘friendly’ advice to the final round leader has boosted David Drysdale’s hopes of a first European Tour victory heading to the final round of the Kenya Savannah Classic in Nairobi.

Drysdale was sharing the lead with just four holes to play before bogeys on 15 and 16 but regrouped with a closing birdie in a two-under par 69 for a 13-under par tally on the Karen Country Club course.

South African Justin Harding continues his impressive Kenyan run having won last week on the same course and now heads to the final round adding a five-under par 66 and move three shots clear at 17-under par.

Harding, 35, is now 37-under par for his last seven rounds.

And in capturing last week’s Miracle Kenya Open Harding is looking to win in back-to-back weeks for a third time in his career.   He won two Sunshine Tour events in succession in 2018 and two months later did the same on the Asian Tour.

Drysdale is among six players sharing second place including Thai Jazz Janewattananond (65), Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan (65), England’s Marcus Armtiage (67) and the South African pair Darren Fichardt (68) and Daniel Van Tonder (70).

Drysdale lost out in a long play-off at last year’s CB Qatar Masters and this week is the first time the now 46-year Drysdale, and with wife Vicky on the bag, has put himself again in contention in his 519^th event.

Drysdale was off to a steady start picking-up a first birdie in holing a 12-footer at the par-3 fourth hole and then for a third time in three rounds, he birdied the par-4 seventh on and this occasion holing a four-footer.

The Eyemouth Club-attached golfer also for a third time birdied the 12^th hole from just a foot and only missing his eagle chip-in but finished on a positive note with a birdie and then having a ‘friendly’ word with  Harding.

✅ Lay up off the tee
✅ Use the slope to perfection

Another birdie for David Drysdale 👌#SavannahClassic pic.twitter.com/46pS2zjBB5

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 25, 2021

Drysdale said: “Justin’s doing great and I told him there at the end if he could just give us all a chance tomorrow, he’s not doing not much wrong (smiling).

“He’s playing very steadily and obviously loves this place but we’ve to take advantage of those holes – six to 12 – there are three or four eagle chances in that part of the golf course so a low one is required.

“It was a tricky day as the wind was gusting a little bit. It was very hot, the ball was going a long, long way.

“It was just one of those tough days, I feel like I’ve hit the ball well and played well but if two under is my bad day I’ll take it, I guess.

“The good thing is I haven’t struggled to pick a club the last few weeks at all but today was definitely a bit different.”

Crook of Devon’s Calum Hill has not ruled himself out also from a first Tour win and sharing eighth place and only four back

Hill had nine birdies in a six-under par 65.

He said: “Other than my two bogeys, I played really nice. I gave myself a lot of chances and made a lot of birdies, having putted well, so it was a good day.

“It’s not necessarily going to be a putting competition tomorrow, not round this course as if you hit it a little bit astray you can make some bogeys pretty quickly.

“Hopefully I can turn up tomorrow and have another good day. I’ll probably need to match today or a little better to have a chance. We’ll see what happens.”

Liam Johnston carded 66 to be a shot adrift of Hill at 12-under par.