Scotland's Sam Locke well placed after 65 in South Africa

Sam Locke, the Scottish champion, is on course for an encouraging start to a winter training trip in South Africa, writes Martin Dempster.

Scottish champion Sam Locke is in joint fifth place going into the the final round of the South African Amateur Championship.

With nine shots to make up on Swede Oliver Gillberg in the final round, Locke faces a tough task in trying to win the South African Amateur Championship.

But a repeat of his seven-under-par 65 in the third round at Pecanwood Golf & Country Club in Hartebeespoortdam should certainly see him secure a high finish.

Locke, who is part of a nine-strong Scottish Golf squad out in the Rainbow Nation, signed for seven birdies in a bogey-free effort, which catapulted the Stonehaven player into joint fifth on 14-under.

In the pro ranks, Grant Forrest opened with a three-under 69 to sit five shots behind defending champion Brett Rumford in the ISPS Handa World Super 6 in Perth.