SUN CITY LEADERBOARD 204 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 205 Retief Goosen (SA) 206 Kenny Perry (USA) 208 Vijay Singh (Fij) Selected others 216 Padraig Harrington (Ire) 219 Nick Price (Zim) 221 Ernie Els (SA)

Sergio Garcia birdied the final hole to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City.

The Spaniard's last-gasp from 20ft gave him a 12 under par total, putting him a stroke ahead of home favourite Retief Goosen.

Overnight leader Kenny Perry of America is a shot further back after faltering on the back nine with four bogeys on his way to a 73.

Goosen's 68 - the lowest round of a sweltering day - was achieved despite the South African admitting he was feeling fatigued.

"I've been really tired and very sick over the last two weeks," he said. easy."

Garcia began slowly and turned in one-over 37 before a birdie on the par-five 10th was followed by another at the 14th.

The 23-year-old said: "It was a difficult day - the course was playing very tough and the pins were really difficult so I'm really pleased with 70."

Perry, who hit 93% of fairways in regulation during the first two rounds, dropped to 54% and it showed in his scoring.

Perry lost his touch off the tee

But despite missing the fairways on the first three holes he somehow managed to birdie the second from 10ft and the par-four third, after playing a magnificent iron out of a fairway bunker to 7ft.

But Perry's progress was halted on the back nine as he recorded four bogeys in six holes and a solitary birdie on the par-four 17th.

He admitted: "I was struggling all day - even when I did hit the good shots I couldn't get the putts to drop."

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke had a frustrating day with a two-over 74 to drop back to five-under par 211.

Ernie Els the defending champion is out of contention at five-over par 221.