Birdie blitz gives Canadian rookie share of lead

European Tour rookie Andrew Parr fired an eight-birdie 64 on Saturday to share the Joburg Open clubhouse lead after an incomplete third round. He is level on 12-under-par 203 with South African Dawie van der Walt, although six of the leading nine golfers on the leaderboard have four or fewer holes to play in a tournament constantly disrupted by thunderstorms. Among those who must complete their rounds early on Sunday are South African Branden Grace and Englishman Richard Finch, who lie 15-under, and another local, George Coetzee, at 14-under. After one round each over the west and east courses at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, the final two rounds in the 1.3-million-euro ($1.65m) event are staged on the more demanding par-72, 6,942-metre east layout. But the course did not prevent 2011 European Tour Q-School graduate Parr from delivering the best round of a cool, grey day, including birdies at three of the four par-five holes. Van der Walt, an unlikely name so high on the board given he is ranked 544 in the world, shot a five-under 67 with three birdies on each half, while conceding one bogey. With reigning US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel failing by one stroke to make the cut, South Africans were hoping two-time US Open-winner Retief Goosen could mount a serious challenge. But after two front-nine birdies offered hope of a low score, 42-year-old 'Goose' bogeyed 11 and 12 to be level for the round with three holes to play and 10-under overall.